Hi all! I am so excited to introduce Eliza Green! Eliza is the author of a fabulous new self-published series called Becoming Human. Becoming Human is the first book in a sci-fi book series, Exilon 5. I have posted a separate post that has my review and a give away. I will link my other post below:
It was such an amazing opportunity to work along side an amazing author and person to get all of this ready for you guys! I hope that you enjoy this guest post!
-Shelbi (Book Ambrosia)
It is now with great pleasure that I welcome Eliza Green!!!
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| Meet Eliza Green |
Before I started writing, my career and education background was a little chequered. When I left school, I completed a fashion design course. Then I worked in retail for five years while switching to a marketing degree that took me five years to complete. After, I moved into an investment management company, then went travelling for six months across Canada (the best time of my life!) and wound up working in sport and completed a one year massage course during that stint. So what did I learn about myself? I’m really good at administration and organisation. Lucky me. Needless to say I was craving a career that took me out of the mundane and breathed life into my withering soul.
I started writing in 2009 after I read a popular book that had good points and bad and got me thinking about about alternative ways to write it. I penned a women’s fiction story in three weeks and loved the control I had over the story so much that I wrote more. Becoming Human started out as a singular idea yet to be fleshed out. I wrote 10k words and pitched it to my sci-fi loving boyfriend who told me to write more. In late 2012, after many agent rejections, I finally self-published my first book, Becoming Human.
The book is about humanity, hope, and survival, and follows what happens when an alien race discovered on an exoplanet threatens the peaceful relocation plans of the human population. Becoming Human explores what happens when humans come face to face with the Indigenes, the race they find living on Exilon 5. Who will reign superior?
Becoming Human follows several points of view but the main characters are Bill Taggart, an ITF investigator, Laura O’Halloran, an Earth Security Centre worker and Stephen, the main Indigene alien in the book. All of the characters have a little bit of me in them: Bill’s inability to trust new people, Laura’s unwavering optimism and Stephen’s stubbornness. Being an introvert means I’m slow to warm to new people, but once I do they become friends for life. So Bill learns to trust others, Laura discovers that not everything is as rosy as it seems and Stephen considers a different kind of future. The message I want to get across to readers is: different isn’t something to be afraid of. I certainly wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that.
Here’s a little interview I did with Bill Taggart and Laura O’Halloran!
‘I’d like to welcome two people who have proven very difficult to pin down over the last number of months,’ I say to the camera before turning towards my guests. ‘Laura O’Halloran and Bill Taggart. Thank you for being here.’
‘Thank you, Eliza,’ Laura says with a friendly smile.
She’s sitting up straight, but I can tell the camera makes her nervous. Bill is the opposite of her. He’s leaning back casually in his chair, one ankle propped up on his knee, watching me.
I begin in earnest. ‘I know you can’t stay long, but there are some preliminary questions I need to ask. Bill, for those who don’t know you, please tell us what you do?
‘I’m a lead investigator with the International Task Force.’
‘Investigator of what?’
He folds his arms. ‘Whatever our parent company deems important.’
‘The ITF is a subsidiary of the World Government, right?’ I ask.
He nods once. His edginess makes me nervous. Laura is different. She’s making an effort to be open, even though they are in quite some danger.
‘Same question to you, Laura.’
‘I work at the Earth Security Centre,’ she says, quickly adding, ‘Another subsidiary of the World Government.’
‘Yes, the World Government controls many things on Earth,’ I add, conscious I need to move this interview along quickly. They are taking a massive risk by being here. ‘I can’t help but notice that you’re both nervous. Do you feel that they’re watching you?’
Bill shifts in his chair almost as if he’s looking for something. I think he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t. It’s actually Laura who answers me.
‘Em, we don’t know, but…’ She turns to look at Bill. At first it looks as if she’s checking with him what she can say, but it isn’t one exerting control over the other. A mutual respect exists between them. I see the way he glances at her. His hardened look softens and he nods briefly at her.
She leans forward and a chill creeps up my spine as I anticipate the worst.
‘Look, what’s going on is bigger than either Bill or I can explain, but I’ll do my best. The World Government cannot be trusted. Don’t drop your guard for a second.’ She combs her fingers through her long blonde hair. ‘The organisations we work for are simply there to do the World Government’s bidding and we’ve seen things that we’re unable to talk about. Every day our work is scrutinised. They track us by the chips in our thumbs, but we know how to mask that—’
Bill kicks her chair and she stops talking.
I turn my attention to Bill who has been far too quiet.
‘Bill, you were recently on Exilon 5 and you saw one of the Indigenes. The World Government has depicted them as a savage race that cannot be trusted. You believe they killed your wife. I’d like to hear your thoughts on them.’
Bill smiles but it looks forced. ‘Don’t believe everything the World Government spoon feeds you. It’s all propaganda crap. Let’s just say my opinion of the Indigenes has changed slightly.’
I frown at him. ‘So you’re saying you trust the Indigenes now?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
He’s closing himself off to me again and judging by the look Laura just gave him I’m not the only one feeling frustrated by him.
‘The World Government told you the Indigenes killed your wife, and you have nothing to say on the matter?’
‘No comment,’ he says firmly.
I can tell I’ve hit a nerve. Laura is anxiously wringing her hands.
‘Isla. That was your wife’s name, wasn’t it?’ I turn to Laura. ‘You found letters from Isla addressed to Bill. What did they say?’
Bill reacts first pointing his finger at me. ‘She didn’t deserve that…’ He stops mid-sentence.
‘Deserve what?’ I prompt.
He clams up again and Laura drops her gaze to the floor. It’s clear they both know quite a bit, but aren’t willing to say. This interview is going nowhere unless I do, or say, something drastic.
‘Tell me about Charles Deighton.’ I swore I wouldn’t mention him too early—I wanted to hear more about Isla—but I need to push the interview on.
Bill has calmed down a bit, but he answers me far too quickly. ‘He’s the CEO for the World Government.’
‘And have you ever had any issues with him? Laura?’
‘Eh, no. I’ve never met him,’ Laura says.
‘Bill?’
He releases an agitated breath. ‘Once or twice. Let’s just say the elite board members don’t show their faces unless something major is about to happen.’
I sense there’s more to this story but Bill won’t budge. I wonder if they’re worried someone is listening in. Or maybe it’s me they don’t trust.
‘Before we go any further, I need to say that I have no dealings with the World Government, nor am I ever likely to.’ It’s true. My writer’s bubble has protected me from all the changes going on. ‘Does that put your mind at rest?’
Bill gives me his best hard look that tells me it doesn’t. I’ve heard rumours about how controlling the World Government has become. I don’t blame him for being cautious.
‘So what now for the two of you? Knowing these secrets that you won’t share with me, will you carry on as you are?’
‘Of course. What else can we do?’ Bill says.
Laura glances at Bill, thenlooks into the camera. ‘I’m not sure who’ll see this interview, but the people of Earth shouldn’t blindly trust the people who govern them. The situation on Earth is getting worse and the changes being proposed by the government may not be good for all.’ She pauses briefly and swallows hard. ‘There’s something you should know about the Indigenes—‘
Bill grabs Laura’s arm and pulls her up as he stands. He isn’t rough with her, but it’s clear she’s said more than Bill wants me to know.
‘We have to go. I’m sorry we couldn’t give you more,’ he says sharply.
I stand up, but they disappear through the door like a pair of fugitives before I can even thank them for their time.
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Win a FREE copy of Becoming Human by Eliza Green below!
Thank you all, it was such a privilege to work with Eliza to get this post ready for you all.
Make sure to check out my review of Becoming Human! Just CLICK HERE!
-Shelbi (Book Ambrosia)
