CARNIA
by Jay
DeMaarten
Publisher: Storywell Press
Genre: Dystopian
ISBN: 978-1-9990165-2-4
Number of pages: 80
Word Count: 13500
Tagline: Only proven fighters win
mates. Cain isn't a warrior, but he's going to fight for a chance to win a
partner
BLURB
Cain wants an Evite—a woman—of
his own. In a world where mating is strictly controlled, he must follow the
rules and enter Carnia; New Eden’s prestigious annual mating festival.
Many fight for the privilege, but
few are chosen.
After a humiliating defeat,
Cain’s best friend shows him another way—albeit a secret, forbidden way—to get
into Carnia. A way that might offer Cain an opportunity to win a mate, or cost
him everything.
Because not only must Cain prove
he’s worthy to take part in Carnia…
…he must also survive it.
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Excerpt
Chapter 1:
Cain landed hard
on his back amidst shouts and jeers. The dirt felt cold against his skin, and
his opponent—a short and muscular boy named Zak—danced menacingly around him,
daring him to get back on his feet. At first, Cain didn’t budge. He was
paralyzed by the noise of the crowd, which was quickly turning into a mob. The
crowd consisted mainly of Adamite youth. They had gathered in the gymnasium to
watch one of the many bouts that took place in the month prior to Carnia. At
seventeen, Cain was now at the age where he could compete for the privilege to
be chosen for Carnia, but so far things were not going well. Beyond the crowd
of Adamites, Cain noticed that some of the Elders were watching from the
elevated seating nearby. They were all dressed in white tunics, which was the
customary dress. All Adamites wore some variation of a tunic, but the Elders’
tunics were a bit more elaborate, some of them adorned with decorations along
the fringes in special colours to mark status. And unlike Cain, who was covered
in sweat and dirt, they were unblemished. One of them, a bald-headed man, shook
his head in dismay. Cain knew what that meant, and a torrent of fear and
emotion washed over him. He curled himself into a ball and started sobbing.
Displaying such emotion did not help, but he could not control himself. He wanted nothing more than to be swallowed
into the earth.
“Get up, sissy!
Are you an Evite?” Zak taunted. The crowd chimed in as well.
“Weasel!”
“Coward!”
“Mother’s boy!”
That last one
hurt, because nobody among the Adamites ever had a mother. To be called a
mother’s boy meant you were somehow one of the Evites. And sometimes Cain
wondered if, in fact, he was. He continued sobbing, and as he buried his face
in his oversized boxing gloves, he began to wish he was an Evite. He wished he
could live amongst them because at least then he would never have to prove his
masculinity.
“Get up!” Zak
repeated. “What’s the matter with you? I barely hit you.”
The referee, who
was a small boy, knelt beside Cain and began the countdown, slamming his palm
into the dirt floor, kicking dust into the air each time. Cain did not move.
When the referee declared Zak the winner, cheers erupted. The crowd hoisted the
victor up onto their shoulders and carried him off. Cain had his eyes closed
the entire time, but he could hear the noise slowly receding.
When Cain
finally opened his eyes, everyone including the Elders was gone, and all he saw
was a tall, wiry young man with dark hair standing above him. Through pain and
tears, Cain recognised him. It was Abe, his best and only friend since early
childhood. Abe held out his hand to Cain. “You ready to get up?”
Author Info
Jay DeMaarten has been a lover of writing since his high school days. He is a journalist and freelance writer, publishing articles on a wide range of topics. His primary passion, however, is fiction in all its mediums. Jay enjoys storytelling in both the spoken and written word, and for the last six years he has been learning and experimenting with writing fiction. He developed a special love for science fiction and fantasy during his days at the University of Guelph, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in 2013. Since then, he has been working on a full-length novel entitled Noah’s Ark, which will be published in 2020. When not writing, he enjoys walking, watching movies, exercising, and studying. He is currently studying accessibility media at Ryerson University. Jay resides in Toronto.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Jay DeMaarten . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I prefer crafting a good story over fancy prose. In the end I want to get the reader thinking about themes/issues that characters might face or emphasize in their speech or actions.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
Sometimes it flows naturally. But then there are times when I’m stuck, and sometimes I have doubts about what I’m writing. But when I just try to put words on paper, I get to a place where it flows again.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
Very often I have a word count in mind. I want to be able to write 2000 words per day over the next two weeks, or I want to be able to get to 10 000 words today. It doesn’t necessarily mean the quality will be great on the first draft, but at least I have a goal to work towards and later on I can edit and finetune. But unless you put something on paper or on the computer screen, you won’t have anything to work with later on.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I try to create a few characters from the outset and assign a few personality traits and maybe a bit of background. But in reality, once I start writing, that personally can easily change and take on a life of its own. It continues to evolve even as I edit. Depending on the needs of the story or the scene, new characters emerge that I wasn’t expecting. Minor characters can become major ones as the story goes along.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
The protagonist of my upcoming debut novel, Noah’s Ark, is someone I have been working on. I’ve finished the story, but I feel as if not enough of him shines through. He tells the story and reflects the themes, but I don’t know if he is completely his own.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)?
I like Cain a lot. He’s the protagonist in Carnia, and part of the reason why I bond with him is because he loves the feminine but is still too shy around them. He’s a sort of underdog character and I always appreciate underdogs. He also doesn’t quite grasp the significance of being a parent until the reality hits him. But eventually he grows into it. In Noah’s Ark there is a character by the name of Jeremiah who is a fiery preacher but has a good heart. He’s one of those pastors who fit the stereotype but genuinely cares about people. And that’s one of the reasons the protagonist is drawn to him in that novel, even though he didn’t share any of Jeremiah’s beliefs.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
I’m currently working on a short manuscript (probably a novella) where a pre-teen girl suddenly finds herself an orphan and has to take care of her younger brother as well as other children in a similar (tough) situation.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I’m planning to release Noah’s Ark in the Fall. It’s a science fiction novel that explores a lot of key themes and issues. It centers around gender and sexuality in a futuristic setting, and I think it really helps to challenge people to see both sides of the debate.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I want to publish my full length novel, Noah’s Ark by September 1st. That’s the tentative date. I would also like to have another novelette/novella published. And of course I’d like to have ARC readers for Noah’s Ark
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
Very often, especially in Noah’s Ark, there were scenes that were difficult for me to write, and also Carnia. I had to have characters do and say things that I would never be able to do in real life. But when I reached into that dark side of my imagination, it was frightening and enlightening.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
I’d also throw in the pandemic. So, if money and COVID 19 were not a concern, I’d go on a tour of Europe, hands down. That’s one of my big dreams.
I prefer crafting a good story over fancy prose. In the end I want to get the reader thinking about themes/issues that characters might face or emphasize in their speech or actions.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
Sometimes it flows naturally. But then there are times when I’m stuck, and sometimes I have doubts about what I’m writing. But when I just try to put words on paper, I get to a place where it flows again.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
Very often I have a word count in mind. I want to be able to write 2000 words per day over the next two weeks, or I want to be able to get to 10 000 words today. It doesn’t necessarily mean the quality will be great on the first draft, but at least I have a goal to work towards and later on I can edit and finetune. But unless you put something on paper or on the computer screen, you won’t have anything to work with later on.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I try to create a few characters from the outset and assign a few personality traits and maybe a bit of background. But in reality, once I start writing, that personally can easily change and take on a life of its own. It continues to evolve even as I edit. Depending on the needs of the story or the scene, new characters emerge that I wasn’t expecting. Minor characters can become major ones as the story goes along.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
The protagonist of my upcoming debut novel, Noah’s Ark, is someone I have been working on. I’ve finished the story, but I feel as if not enough of him shines through. He tells the story and reflects the themes, but I don’t know if he is completely his own.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)?
I like Cain a lot. He’s the protagonist in Carnia, and part of the reason why I bond with him is because he loves the feminine but is still too shy around them. He’s a sort of underdog character and I always appreciate underdogs. He also doesn’t quite grasp the significance of being a parent until the reality hits him. But eventually he grows into it. In Noah’s Ark there is a character by the name of Jeremiah who is a fiery preacher but has a good heart. He’s one of those pastors who fit the stereotype but genuinely cares about people. And that’s one of the reasons the protagonist is drawn to him in that novel, even though he didn’t share any of Jeremiah’s beliefs.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
I’m currently working on a short manuscript (probably a novella) where a pre-teen girl suddenly finds herself an orphan and has to take care of her younger brother as well as other children in a similar (tough) situation.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I’m planning to release Noah’s Ark in the Fall. It’s a science fiction novel that explores a lot of key themes and issues. It centers around gender and sexuality in a futuristic setting, and I think it really helps to challenge people to see both sides of the debate.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I want to publish my full length novel, Noah’s Ark by September 1st. That’s the tentative date. I would also like to have another novelette/novella published. And of course I’d like to have ARC readers for Noah’s Ark
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
Very often, especially in Noah’s Ark, there were scenes that were difficult for me to write, and also Carnia. I had to have characters do and say things that I would never be able to do in real life. But when I reached into that dark side of my imagination, it was frightening and enlightening.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
I’d also throw in the pandemic. So, if money and COVID 19 were not a concern, I’d go on a tour of Europe, hands down. That’s one of my big dreams.
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This sounds like a book I'd enjoy reading.Thanks for sharing the excerpt.
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