Terry Geo's Blog

I have been reading a book recently that has clearly never been anywhere near an editor, or a beta reader or even Grammarly.

The formatting is wrong – it’s double spaced after every paragraph.

There are multiple spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes – even some of the tenses used are wrong.

There are four main characters, three of them have names starting with the letter M. This is fiction, the author c

ould have called them anything, but instead, the reader can barely follow the story as the characters have similar names.

There is a half decent story buried in here with a lot of research put into it, but it’s not showcased well, with flat characters and basic, sometimes repetitive dialogue.

To me, this showcases the bad side of indie publishing. I paid more for this than my book is currently listed as and I spent £6,000 on Refraction before publishing, to make sure it was the very best it could be. In hindsight, I spent £5,500 too much and some people don’t even have £500 to spend on their novel. I get it, it’s not easy funding your own projects. I had to borrow the money as I had none. But your book is an item for sale and the purchaser should be able to buy a product with the confidence that it is actually finished. The book I’ve been reading is more like a first draft.

There are three reviews on the book’s Amazon page, all of them are five stars. No one in their right mind would give this book five stars, which means these are likely left by close friends and family of the author.

I chose this book because the blurb sounded good and I like reading and helping out other indie authors. I don’t know the writer at all, so I don’t feel comfortable seeking him out and telling him this in person, but I also don’t feel like sharing my honest review. The one or two stars I would leave would hurt and possibly stay with him for a long time. I received a three-star review soon after publishing Refraction – the reviewer didn’t agree with the way I told my story, which is subjective at best – but it stung and hurt my sales in the early stages.

The issues I have with this book are different. I would never hinder someone’s artistic choices or say I would have written it differently, because this is someone else’s art and vision. My issues with this book are fundamental mistakes which make the story difficult to read – things that a professional editor would be able to clear up. The formatting is a simple fix, the errors are likely to be a result of word blindness, they could suggest to change the character names to make it easier for the reader to follow and maybe even a few suggestions to make the dialogue more natural sounding and realistic.

As it stands, it’s pretty unreadable. So, I’ve deleted the book after reading 67%. Much more than I should have read. My review is already written, I wrote it a week ago, but I don’t want to be “that guy”. I don’t want to be the one that crushes this debut author’s dreams. As an indie writer, I know how that feels. I really wish someone close to him would be more honest instead of singing the praises of something that needs a lot of work, but we know our friends and family rarely do that.

But should this job really fall on the reader to speak up in their review? I wouldn’t have minded as much pre-publishing, but now I know how it feels, I don’t want to cause anyone that pain. I have battled with should I/shouldn’t I leave a review for over a week. On the one hand, someone needs to tell him about the mistakes he’s made, but on the other, why should I have to be the bearer of bad news?

I don’t believe that we as the reader should ever be put into this position. You as the writer know that a book needs to be edited. Even if you can’t afford a professional editor, find some friends who can beta read it for you and tell them to be honest. This isn’t about changing your story, your vision or your art, this is about making it readable. Making sure there are no errors, that your characters don’t all have similar sounding names that can confuse the reader and that something as simple as correctly formatting your text isn’t overlooked.

This is why I believe the whole system should have a better filter before self-publishing, to make sure these simple errors don’t get through; otherwise, indie publishing will continue to carry a burden of shame. If anyone can publish anything of any quality and attach a price tag to it, how is the prospective reader ever to know what’s good and what’s not? They might as well just stick to buying traditionally published books. At least then they know the book will be at least edited well, regardless of the quality of story inside.

There are so many amazing indie writers who do spend the time needed to review their work. Who do find beta readers and even if they can’t afford an editor they will spend weeks scouring every line of their book until it is ready. Some of the best books I’ve read are indie books and yet many of them only get a handful of readers a year.

If you can’t afford an editor, can’t do this yourself and can’t find anyone to help you, there are so many free resources online for you to learn. Spend the time reviewing your work before publishing. And if all else fails, don’t charge people for something that you know isn’t sale-ready.

Postscript:

I know this is a contentious issue for some people. There are those who don’t believe there should be any restrictions on what is published, their argument being, you don’t give a painter rules on how to paint. But this isn’t about a painting – this isn’t even about the art/vision of the story – this is a book and books do have rules. Spelling, grammar, formatting and punctuation are the foundations of our written language. They are the standardised basis for us all to learn, speak, read and write the same language. You can’t mess with that, otherwise we’d never be able to communicate with each other.

I watched a video today by Jonathan Pie. If you're unfamiliar with his work, he's a character performed by Tom Walker, who satirises current news stories. I've been watching his content for many years and enjoy his tongue-in-cheek approach. Today however, I take umbrage with the video I've just seen. (Umbrage, does anyone even use that word anymore?)

My annoyance stems from his recent video entailed Acting Gay! in which he talks about Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk - Creator/Doctor Who - Head Writer) saying, all gay characters should be played by gay actors. This didn't believe this was true. So, I took my time researching the story, finding out exactly what had been said and responded to the video in the comments section of YouTube. I have tried to post my response four times and each time, it uploads but when the page is refreshed, is no longer there. I've checked in my personal comments section - which shows all the comments you have ever posted - yet, it's not there either. I can post on other videos, I can even post a short comment on Jonathan Pie's, but it won't accept this one. I presumed it was a character limit problem, set by YouTube. It isn't. The limit is 5,000 characters and my post is half that. Whatever the reason, I felt it was important to share my research and response on this matter. So many people seem to be running with the notion that this is fact, when it isn't.

Here's what I tried to post:

Ok, I have to go deep with this one, as I feel it personally affects me as a gay man, a member of Equity and someone who has interviewed Russell T Davies in the past.

A lot of us know that Jonathan Pie is a character played by the actor Tom Walker, but I'm sure there are casual viewers who didn't know that. Tom has said in the past that his views do not always match those of Jonathan and that Pie is an extreme version of himself. But, Tom is still the writer and draws from his own life, feelings and experiences to create the character.

I've re-read the interview Russell gave to the Radio Times and feel he has been misquoted. It's as if Tom read the headline from The Mail and ran with his own thoughts and conclusions. For transparency, below is the entire paragraph where Russell talks about this:

The gay male characters are all played by gay actors, something Davies thinks is massively important. “I’m not being woke about this… but I feel strongly that if I cast someone in a story, I am casting them to act as a lover, or an enemy, or someone on drugs or a criminal or a saint… they are NOT there to ‘act gay’ because ‘acting gay’ is a bunch of codes for a performance. It’s about authenticity, the taste of 2020. You wouldn’t cast someone able-bodied and put them in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t black someone up. Authenticity is leading us to joyous places.”

You can read the entire interview here.

He never actually said gay people have to be cast in gay roles, he's saying they have to be authentic. The main cast of Queer as Folk were all straight - I know, because I met and interviewed them. But all were authentic to their characters. In his new show, all the actors are gay, but it is the interviewer who has said this is massively important, not Russell. As a writer myself, I know how crucial it is to cast the right person for the role. I wrote and directed a musical in 2017 about modern gay life in London. Only two of the five main cast were gay, yet all of them were fantastic.

I will add that being gay does bring many unique experiences straight people don't typically encounter. Getting shunned by our parents, bullying and abuse, segregation and a vicious cycle of hate that stays with us our whole lives. That is something a straight actor needs to know and understand before playing a gay role. But a good actor can assume any role. Look at Eric McCormack who played Will in Will and Grace. A straight man who didn't play a stereotypical gay man. Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Trevante Rhodes in Moonlight. All incredible performances of gay characters by straight men.

Does it help to play gay, if you're gay? Of course, it does, but if you're a good enough actor, you should be able to play anyone.

The right demonise enough people without the left doing it too.

You can watch Jonathan Pie's video below:

Stupid and selfish – is that really what the human race boils down to?

We are living through a global pandemic, the first for more than a hundred years and even more deadly than the Spanish Flu (2.5% mortality rate). Countries around the world have closed their borders, economies have crashed and already thousands of people have died.
Our grandparents were asked to fight and die in two world wars, we’ve been asked to stay in the comfort of our own homes to contain this deadly virus and save lives - and yet we can’t even do that.
“But I like going to the park when it’s nice weather.”“I like going to the pub with my friends.”“I like going out.”
We ALL do! These are small sacrifices we have to make right now. But because of those who aren’t adhering to the recommendations of the government, we will soon have police/military on the streets, enforcing it. Thanks! Yet, you know these same people will be the ones to scream and shout about their civil liberties being taken away.
And for all those people comparing Covid-19 to the flu, just fucking stop!
“There were XXX thousand flu deaths last year which weren’t reported on.”
Yes, they were reported on, you just didn’t hear about them because flu deaths only account or 0.1% of the population. The coronavirus has a mortality rate of 3.5% - which means the deaths of approximately 250 million people. To put that into perspective, there are 60 million people living in the UK right now. There is no cure or vaccine. We have no way to stop this at the moment, so containment is our only solution.
“It only affects old people.”
No, it affects everyone, of any age, sex or race. If you’re one of the lucky people who only get mild symptoms, fantastic, but you are still a carrier and by socialising, you could be killing the most vulnerable.
“What do I do with my kids for 12 weeks?”
Be creative, play games, write stories, crafting, baking, movie marathons. Look after them and yourselves. This is to protect all of our futures.
If you’re reading this, you are currently online. Use Google to fact check EVERYTHING you see on social media – including this. So many people are spreading rumours, assumptions and speculation as if they're facts when they are not. Understand, this is a pandemic the likes which has never been seen before and a lot of people are going to die unnecessarily.
Stop being stupid and selfish. Stay at home as much as possible, keep your distance from anyone not part of your household, wash your hands often and be considerate to every other person you share this planet with.
And stop stockpiling food!
We have already begun to see the effects of the Coronavirus in the UK, but we are still two weeks behind Italy. Look at what’s happening there and now in Spain. We are not immune from this, we can’t stop it coming and when it gets here, it will display the true horrors of this pandemic.
Snap out of your self-delusions, stop burying your head in the sand and STAY AT HOME!
Together we can get through this.
Terry x

Refraction Second Edition comes with an updated cover, trailer and the addition of a prologue.

I've realised that everything is judged in the blink of an eye, which is why I changed the cover.

As much as I loved the original vision, you had to really look at it to get it - and that's something very few people do.

So, the window frame has gone, the back cover blurb has been updated and a few review snap-shots have been added. I also wrote a prologue, something the book didn't have before, so that anyone who reads the Amazon preview, knows what to expect in the first few pages.

I have also updated the trailer with the new cover and some more review highlights.


Refraction is available on Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited, for a limited time.

Click here for the UK

Click here for the US

Find out more on the official website

Grab your copy from Amazon, available across the world!  United KingdomUnited States
KENNETH CWithout giving too much away, Refraction is a great story revolving around an interesting concept! The pacing of the narrative flows well and the characters have interesting and diverse back stories. As such, there is never a dull moment.What I truly enjoyed was the dialogue between the characters throughout the story – adding an additional dimension of realism even amidst this fictional environment that the author has created within the confines of the real world.. Nuances in body language and the occasional punch line dropped between the dialogue stirs up mental images which make the characters feel completely believable and may even remind you of certain family members or friends. [image error]

Random quickfire question round

Favourite colour: Red (sometimes blue) 
Favourite song: Aces by Carol Bayer Sager 
Favourite film: The Neverending Story 
Favourite species: Sauropod 
Favourite place: Yosemite National Forest 
Favourite tree: Favourite tree? This really is random! Redwoods, see above 
Favourite time period: 1920s if I were rich, Mesozoic if I were invincible 
Where do you live? London 
Where do you want to live? San Francisco 
Why? Have you been? I love San Francisco

What made you get into writing?

Nothing, I’ve just always been a writer. From the moment I put crayon to paper, I’ve been writing. Although I use a computer these days and have improved somewhat over the years.

You’ve just published your first novel, what’s Refraction about?

Have you ever had a dream so real, it’s still been there when you’ve woken up? Something so vivid, you wished you could bring it back into the real world? Refraction takes that thought and expands on it. It’s set in modern-day London with relatable characters in real-world lives and situations who are brought together by Silicate, a company in the heart of London who have the technology to see and record people’s dreams. 
Now imagine there was such a company, what dreams can you imagine being projected into our world? For me, I’m a huge geek for movies, animation, music, history, dinosaurs… Hmmm, maybe I’ve said too much!

You chose a diverse cast of characters for your book.

I did. I felt it was important to have strong females, racial diversity and same-sex relationships yet not have any of that pull focus away from the story. The characters are simply who they are, like all of us. We don’t run down the streets shouting at strangers, “I have a third nipple” or “look at my acne scars!” They are just a part of us the same way a disability is or the colour of our skin or the sexual orientation we were born with. We are all human beings and it’s time we saw each other that way and not by the things that make us different.

How long did Refraction take you to write?

I came up with the idea in 2012, I wrote a few chapters and then left it. The thought of completing a full-length novel was daunting. It was easier to keep it locked away in a folder and pretend it wasn’t there. Every now and again, I’d go back and write some more and then leave it for months, sometimes years at a time, but my brain never let me forget about it. In January this year, I sat down at my computer, determined to finish it. In seven years, I’d only managed to write 30,000 words, six months later, I’d written an additional 90,000 words. After edits, the published book sits at around 103,000 words. In one way it took seven years, in another it took six months. I’m giving myself a year to write book 2, so we’ll see how that goes.

So, there is a sequel?

There will be two, it’s part of a trilogy. This book is The Present, the next book will be The Future and the final book with be The Past.

Wait, this is the middle book then?

(Laughs) It is. They can still be read as stand-alone books, with the trilogy being an over-arching story thread linking them all together. I felt it was important to start in present-day so people can relate to what’s happening. It doesn’t read like you’ve missed anything, probably because you haven’t. I’ve not written it yet!

Who would enjoy reading Refraction?

It’s not a traditional sci-fi novel, it’s more like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; real people in our world going on an extraordinary adventure together, through the impossible. Incredible things occur, yet I’ve written the book so that everyone can understand what’s happening. It’s the reason I wrote it through the eyes of four very different people of different backgrounds and ages; that way most people can engage with the story and the characters.

Where can we buy it?

At the moment, exclusively on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format.

First featured on https://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com/


See the trailer: https://youtu.be/4O8C2v4BUy4

1) How long have you been writing?My earliest memory of writing was when I was five. I’d been to see The Neverending Story at the cinema and wanted to create my own story with those characters. I’ve not stopped writing since.2) Can you tell us a little about your book?It’s amazing and you should definitely read it! (Laughs) Even though I do believe that, it doesn’t matter what I say, as the author will always praise their own work. The only thing that really matters is what the readers think of it. So far, every review has been 4 or 5 stars and the thing I hear the most is, “I don’t usually like science fiction, but I loved your book.” Science fiction is a wide genre. Anything that isn’t currently real can be placed under that banner, although most people think of Star Wars or Star Trek, Refraction is nothing like either of those. It’s a modern-day drama with relatable characters, set in the present day where a fictitious company has invented the technology to record and project people’s dreams into our world.If you could dream anything into existence, what would it be? That question rolled around my head for a long time before I started writing the book. I’m a huge geek and have varied interests, so Refraction is filled with many pop-culture references from animation, film and history. It has a diverse cast of relatable characters, a lot of emotion and I’m really proud of it. I’ve written a lot in my life and this is the story I have chosen to tell first. I believe it has universal appeal and is a book most people will enjoy reading.3) What did you find most challenging about writing your book?Finishing it! It’s a real struggle to motivate yourself to write, especially when the entire story is being invented as you type. I worked 12, sometimes 16 hours a day, and I would often shiver as if I were cold while typing, even in the heat of summer and I knew it was because all of my strength was being pumped into my brain. Once I’d finished the story, it was then in the editing stage for three months. I’ve read the whole of Refraction at least 20 times, my editor read it 10 and there were also three proof readers who read it a couple of times each. Everything has to be perfect when publishing a book because so many eyes will be scrutinising it once it’s out there in the wild.4) Which aspect of writing do you enjoy the most?I love bringing things into the world which once never existed. Even with all the pop-culture dream apparitions, Refraction is a very unique story. I don’t think there’s another book like it and the excitement of writing something new is an incredible feeling. I’m a very creative person with a vivid imagination. My brain is constantly thinking up new stories and scenarios, even when I’m trying to sleep! We all have things that excite us, mine is writing. It’s the outlet my brain craves and seeing the world I create, unfold as I type, is exhilarating.5) Are you working on another book at the moment?At the moment, I’m dedicating all of my time to promoting Refraction. Next month, I’ll start work on book 2. This is a trilogy and I’m giving myself a year to write each book. There is also another story in my head, not related at all to this series, which I need to start writing soon. I’m hoping I can get time in-between books 2 and 3. It’s speculative fiction and a stand-alone story, but I’m not ready to share any details just yet.First featured on https://editorcharlene.wordpress.com/About the Book Title: RefractionAuthor: Terry GeoGenre: Science-Fiction / FantasyMost stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .The world you know is only half the story.

I love writing. It’s what I do to relax, when I need to create, when my brain has so many ideas churning around that I have to jot something down. I enjoy creating characters, storylines and unexpected surprises, so the whole writing process is fun. Editing was time-consuming and frustrating, but I was still inside the world I created, so it never felt like a chore. The hardest part has been and still is, marketing. I have worked in television, journalism and theatre, I’ve been in pressure-cooker environments and demanding roles before, but nothing prepared me for the difficulties of self-publishing. I saw success stories like Wool and The Martian and believed Refraction would be instantly up there with them. The problem: I’m an unknown author, self-publishing my debut novel and no one knows who I am.The current drawback with self-publishing, is that there’s no quality control. I edited the book, going through it line-by-line for three months, I paid for a copy editor to do the same, an artist for the cover, a graphic designer for the title, a PR company for the marketing, I bought a domain name and learned how to build a website, I edited a trailer together and I had a book I was sure everyone would enjoy reading. I did everything I could think of and spent every penny I had on producing the best novel I possibly could – but not everyone does that. Anyone in the world can write anything they want, assign a price to it and self-publish, regardless of the quality – and the public knows this. Are you going to risk 5.99 on something that could be illegible or have a story that goes nowhere? Do you really want it invest your time in something that could turn out to be unfinished or lazily written or have hundreds of spelling and grammatical mistakes? I know I don’t. That’s why reviews are vitally important, because if ten people like it, there’s a chance you will too. Unfortunately, reviews are more difficult to obtain than you’d think. Not only do you have to get those first few people to read your book, you then have to wait for them to finish it and hope they leave a review. Not many people do, and even when they want to, Amazon might not even let them. I know at least four people who can’t leave a review and two of them are my Mum and brother. Amazon won’t talk to me about this issue for data protection reasons, but it seems you now have to spend at least £50 a year with the company to leave a review, even if you’ve bought the book. I have collated them all and added them to a page on my website, but because no one knows who I am, no one is visiting that page. It’s a vicious cycle.Thankfully, I found the writing community. Until this year, Twitter was a platform I actively avoided. As I writer, I need the ability to get out what I want to say without limitation, so I kept to Facebook. It was only when my PR company explained the benefits of Twitter, that I gave in and thankfully, it’s been a really positive experience. The people I’ve met and communicate with on a daily basis are like a family. We all support each other, offer advice and promote each other’s work. There are so many writers, like me, who self-publish and then find themselves lost in a confusing abyss, screaming, yet never heard. The writing community gives that voice a platform and somewhere to showcase who you are and what you do. Without them, I’d still be on Facebook, endlessly promoting my book to family and friends, who’ve already bought it.Two months on and I have a lot more media interest and sales have started to pick up. Every review that has come in has been 4 or 5 stars and I’ve been praised for the story, the pacing, the editing and the cover, all things I really worried about before publishing. This isn’t your traditional science fiction novel and I didn’t know what the reaction would be. Thankfully, all positive so far.As we near the end of the year, I’m more hopeful for the future. I’ve stopped constantly worrying about the quality and content of the book and am more focused on getting those elusive reviews. It doesn’t matter how much I praise the book, as the author, what else would I do? What really matters are the views of the readers. In January, I’ll start writing book 2 and I hope to have it finished in time for next Christmas, by which time, people will hopefully know me and Refraction better.First featured on https://kate-hill.com/blog/?p=8185
Refraction
by Terry Geo
Genre: Science-Fiction / FantasyMost stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .The world you know is only half the story.RefractionAuthor: Terry GeoGenre: Science-Fiction / FantasyMost stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .The world you know is only half the story.Author Bio
Born in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers. He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn’t like sports and would write at every opportunity. He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age eleven. At sixteen, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country. Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school. For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was. He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television. After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications. He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage. A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London. After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away. This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry’s debut published novel, Refraction.Links
https://refractedworld.com/
https://twitter.com/terryjgeo
https://www.facebook.com/refractedworld
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDC1PPS

1) What inspired you to start a writing career?I don’t believe I ever chose to be a writer; it was just something that evolved naturally. From an early age, I was writing. By the time I was 9, I was creating complex fiction and killing off the main protagonist – much to the horror of my teachers and parents. At 11, I wrote my first play which was performed in front of the school and the following year, I sent a novel to a publisher. It didn’t get published, but they did send a lovely rejection letter, which spurred me on.Because I always knew I would end up being a writer, I did a lot of other things before getting here. There was so much I wanted to experience, so many things I wanted to do with my life. Writing, I knew I could do that, but what else could I do? I worked in TV as a producer, director and presenter, I was in a pop group and I travelled the world as an actor. In the background, was always writing. Journalist, blogger, reviewer; and then in 2017, I wrote a musical for the London stage. As big a challenge as that was, it was nothing compared to finishing Refraction. Unlike a script, everything has to be perfect in a book, as thousands of eyes will be reading/scrutinising my work. Is that comma in the right place? Is that made-up word the same throughout the book? Would that character say that? It took three months of edits until it was finally ready to be published.2) Is your book a stand-alone, or is it part of a series?It’s the first (and the middle) story of three books. At the very beginning of Refraction, before the introduction, is a page which simply reads The Present. The next one will be The Future and the final one, The Past. Although this is a trilogy, there are no major cliff-hangers at the end of each book. I wanted them to work as stand-alone novels, with an over-arching story thread linking them all together.3) How does your book stand out from other books in the same genre?This isn’t what you would call traditional sci-fi, it’s real-world science fiction. Refraction is based in modern-day London with a fictitious story revolving around dreams. It’s actually very grounded with relatable characters in the first half of the book and then the fantastic takes over, a little like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I did a lot of research to make it as believable as possible and then explain it all in my writing, making it understandable for the reader. We all have dreams and I imagine all of us have wished we could bring some of them into the real world; this book explores that thought – to the extreme!4) Are any of your characters based on real people?Yes and no. The four main characters all have traits from me, but none of them are specifically based on real people. Of course, when we get to the dream apparitions, they are based on their respective real-life counterparts; whoever or whatever they may be.5) Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?If you’re new to writing, hone your craft. Write anything and everything you can. Start a blog, jot down story ideas, write poetry; whatever sparks your interest. When starting your first novel, it’s important to keep yourself motivated. This is tough work – it’s not an easy profession at all. It can also feel quite lonely at times and the sheer amount of work you need to do to get to the end can be daunting, especially when you’re starting out. Don’t let it stop you achieving your goals. Take your time and just keep writing. (I’m so thinking of Dory from Finding Nemo right now!)
First featured on http://majankaverstraete.com/2019/12/author-interview-refraction/AbouttheBook Title: RefractionAuthor: Terry GeoGenre: Science-Fiction / FantasyMost stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .The world you know is only half the story.AuthorBioBorn in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers. He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn’t like sports and would write at every opportunity. He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age eleven. At sixteen, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country. Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school. For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was. He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television. After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications. He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage. A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London. After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away. This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry’s debut published novel, Refraction.Linkshttps://refractedworld.com/https://twitter.com/terryjgeohttps://www.facebook.com/refractedworldhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDC1PPS

"This is a private elevator with only three stops — here, the floor below, and The Particle entrance foyer,” Padman explained to Ryder. “Lord Braighton had it designed into the plans so that the volunteers and staff would have easier access to the lab. It comes in most useful when you want to bypass reception. You’ve seen how busy it can get.” He turned to Isabell. “Do you have your security pass with you?”She looked through her handbag.“I do somewhere. Ah, here it is. It’s always hiding in the bottom.” She looked up at Padman. “Give me a call when you want me in next. Like I said, I’m available every day next week and the deadline for my book is miles away, so I won’t have my agent pestering me for pages.“It was very nice to meet you, Ryder. I hope to see you again. Don’t get scared off by all the craziness around here.” Isabell grinned as she entered the lift.“Thanks. I’ll try not to,” Ryder replied, smiling, as the doors closed.As the lift descended, Isabell looked in the mirror.“Look at your hair, girl,” she muttered to herself. “When was the last time you got it cut?” She tried to coax some volume into her hair but was unable to achieve the look she was after.The elevator doors opened and she walked through the foyer of The Particle and outside into the morning air. A gust of wind hit her in the face and forced her eyes closed.“Issi, I know you’re lying. I know you’re sleeping with someone behind my back and this is the only way I can make sure you never cheat on me again.”Isabell’s eyes shot open. She was strapped down and bound into the passenger seat of a moving car. Her mouth was taped and she was struggling to breath. Terrified, she looked around her, immediately recognising the driver. She knew she was about to die.First featured on https://bedazzledreading.wordpress.com/
When he saw his mother for the final time, she was lying in a coffin, dressed in a high-necked blouse to hide the rope marks. Ryder was overcome with emotion. She looked still and peaceful and, for the first time since Ryder was an infant, she actually looked like a mother. A tear slipped down his face and landed on her cheek, making it appear as if she were crying, too. He bent down and kissed her forehead.
“I forgive you, Mum, and I love you. I hope you finally find peace.”
After the funeral, Ryder had taken a few days off to sort out his mother’s belongings before heading back to the army, all without a word to his grandparents. He blamed them for her death as much as he blamed himself for not being with his mother in her last few months.
He decided that work would take his mind off everything, but he couldn’t concentrate on his job. The more he tried to put the thoughts of his mother to the back of his mind, the more they resurfaced and distracted him from his work. Work which put his life and the lives of a hundred cadets at risk.
It was this lapse in concentration that had almost gotten him killed when he drove his Jeep into an area covered with landmines. Luckily, no-one else in his battalion had been near the blast and he was the only person injured.
Doctors told him that he was lucky to be alive, but Ryder wished he wasn’t. The army was his life; all his friends, his colleagues and his future had been taken from him that day. Now, he was doomed to live out a new, unwanted existence. Ryder’s legs would never work again, and he had no training or experience that didn’t involve them. The pay-out from the army was decent for a thirty-five-year-old, but he hadn’t counted on his disability restricting him as much as it did.
First featured on http://madnessbookish.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-excerpt-refraction.html

 “And you think he’s trapped us in here out of spite or something?” Isabell asked.“I can’t say I understand his motives, but the system logs show he was the last person to enter this room before today. Until we have more information, that’s the only explanation I can come up with.”“What do we do now? Just wait until someone lets us out?” Jake asked.“I’m afraid that’s not an option. The nearest washroom is on the other side of that locked door, along with the kitchen, so we have no food or water. The next person with access to Archeus won’t be on duty until six a.m.”“You’re saying we have to hold our bladders for another six hours?”“Sorry, I meant six a.m. on Monday.”“What?” Isabell, Jake and Ryder cried in unison.“And that’s assuming we’re reported missing and they come to check Archeus.”“That’s insane. How are we going to manage that long?” Isabell asked.“That’s not even our most immediate problem.”“What do you mean?” Ryder looked hard at Padman.“I can’t access the main network on the computer, but I was able to search through the folders specific to this room. In the system logs is a live-feed measuring the air quality. It’s dropping. I checked why that might be, and I believe the air circulation system has been manually switched off. This is a vacuum-sealed room and as you can see, there are no windows to crack open.”“How long do we have left?” Ryder asked.“There are stores of air to feed this room and as long as we —”“How long do we have, Padman?” Jake asked nervously.“A little over an hour.”Panic set in for Isabell and Jake, whose eyes were now darting around the room, searching for an opening of any kind. Ryder maintained more composure.“Do you have any suggestions?”“Only one, and I would use it in a heartbeat, but —” the doctor turned to Isabell “— your cat being here terrifies me more than the thought of us all suffocating to death.”
First featured on https://mythicalbooks.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-world-you-know-is-only-half-story.html

Padman brought up the floating screen over Arturo, and began interfacing with it.“What this console does,” he said, addressing the audience while working on the screen, “as well as accessing Arturo’s brain, is also enhances the apparitions and enlarges the images we see. Using a combination of the brain’s own electricity and our newly designed systems, we can now do this . . .”The doctor brushed his hand over the screen, clenched his fist and drew it away from Arturo, pushing it towards the grid beneath the cannons.A mass of gathered light and data swam around in a jumbled mess. As it darted around the room, it combined together, steadily growing in size, assembling and ordering itself, until creating an apparition ten times larger than it had been before.As the image settled, it formed a life-size man, who stared at the audience. Still in a wispy, dream-like state, the only movement produced was by the smoke-like texture, waving and weaving.“Ladies and gentlemen, meet Carlos,” Padman announced with glee. The surrounding grid of lights began to move and change colours. Lights darted over the apparition, checking for size and consistency. Once the lights had settled, the cannons came to life. All four moved around the apparition, shooting a steady stream of gaseous molecules. In front of their eyes, the body began to fill . . . First a foot, then a hand, an eye, a leg . . .Padman watched the percentage of the gauge rise as the cannons automatically controlled the flow of each precise molecule being added to the apparition. When it reached one hundred per cent, the cannons stopped, retracting back to the ceiling.Everyone held their breath, staring at the fully formed man in front of their eyes. No-one spoke, for what seemed an eternity, waiting to see what would happen next.The man collapsed to the floor.
First featured on https://www.tsstuff.net/2019/12/refraction-by-terry-geo.html

About the Book
Title: RefractionAuthor: Terry GeoGenre: Science-FictionIf you could dream anything into existence, what would it be?

Join Abby, Ryder, Jake and Terrell in an epic adventure that spans this life - and the next. Uncover the secrets hidden within all of us, and set your imagination free.

Welcome to Silicate: where dreams become reality.

From the back cover:Most stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shock-waves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .The world you know is only half the story.Author Bio Born in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers. He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn’t like sports and would write at every opportunity. He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age eleven. At sixteen, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country. Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school. For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was. He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television. After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications. He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage. A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London. After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away. This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry’s debut published novel, Refraction.Linkshttps://refractedworld.com/https://twitter.com/terryjgeohttps://www.facebook.com/refractedworldhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDC1PPS