Brain to Books Cyber Convention (FAIRGROUNDS) discussion

Aarti Patel



Modern Day Fables

In the modern world, life lessons are not always as black and white as who wins a race between a tortoise and a hare. Modern Day Fables features eleven lessons for us adults, we who face challenges that present a palette of grays in which the morals are often more gritty, trampled on, hard fought, hard won, and not always glorious. In these eleven fables, travel the subterranean world of lessons not oft told because they are challenging to the status quo, and championing of the individual who stands alone amid the world around us. Decide what you think, who wins and who loses, who stands and who falls. Most importantly, just think.

--The book's first story, Screen, takes place in the near future where a technological innovation allows for the majority of life to be lived inside a virtual world. As life in the real world becomes more and more scarce, and a strange illness starts spreading throughout the population, a young woman named Misha finds herself drawn deep into the true nature of a sinister company called SciTech.

--In The IV Club, a new extracurricular group forms at Glenwood High. Led by a charismatic teacher, it promises relief from suffering through the recognition that we are all innocent victims. While it catches on like wildfire throughout the school and beyond, one student's skepticism leads her to uncover what the aim of the club really is.

--A young man who has recently graduated college finds himself struggling with where to go in his life in the story, Precipice. After Jake ends up aimlessly walking the campus of his old university one night with a friend, what starts as a nostalgic trip down memory lane quickly turns into a nightmare. A mysterious ally, hostile pursuers, and some suddenly not-so-familiar faces lead him to the verge of a decision that will decide his fate.

Within these stories, as well as the rest in the book, you will see the ideals and expectations of society destroy some characters, as well as be exploited by others for power. But most importantly you will find those rare individuals who discover the courage inherent within them to stand apart from the status quo. They are not fearless heroes, but normal everyday people, conflicted yet confident, fearful yet bold. It is within these characters that lessons of the fables lie.

Hi there, I'm the only one showcasing here in the "anthology" section, so thanks for stopping by! My boyfriend, Jason, and I wrote a total of 11 short stories and then compiled them to make this collection. You don't have to guess who wrote which story, because we take the mystery out of that in the table of contents :) Still, the stories themselves contain plenty of mystery and pertain to the dynamics and conflicting morals we see throughout society and the world around us. Most of all, the book champions the courageous individuals who live and stand up for themselves in today's modern society. Please take advantage of the E-book promotion I'm hosting during the cycon:

**Click here to read more reviews.

Screen is the first story in our collection. It was inspired by our stay in the Bay Area, and it stems from my reaction to the blossoming culture of technology I was witnessing there. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, smart phones, Uber, mobile medical practices, virtual reality. I wondered what was coming next. And I tried to describe how I envisioned it within the story Screen. The first story is available below as a promotion during the cyber convention.

That's a wrap folks, I've enjoyed building this author showcase to share with you :)

We're just two ordinary people who enjoyed putting together some short stories about ordinary people who are living life and facing challenges. We look forward to chatting with you here as you post any comments or questions below. Also, if you check out our book Modern Day Fables, we'd love to hear what you think and welcome honest reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

To check out more writing from the self-publishing desk of D2 Books, feel free to visit our website www.D2Books.com.

Sincerely,
Aarti and Jason

This looks so interesting! Can I ask how you came up with your stories?

Sure Maddy! Jason and I both had different approaches when it came to story ideas and writing.

"Screen" was my first story, and it was inspired by me living in the Bay Area and being utterly confused about Silicon Valley. To this day, I use social media, but it feels both natural and unnatural at the same time. The tech environment wasn't just an industry, it seemed to be a way of life. I wanted to explore "the screen" more.

Jason wrote "Sadman" first, after we moved from Seattle to California. Leaving a place can help you see it more clearly or from new perspectives. Jason had grown up in Washington state and lived in Seattle for years. For him, moving to California was the first time he was away from his home. The main character is based off him a little, and the female lead is a bit of me.

Jason wrote "Precipice" and "The IV Club" next. These stories are different from anything he's written before. The first story represents the struggle everyone faces in this society that wants to fit us in specific boxes. After being done with graduate school and entering the "real world," we were both experiencing this message stronger than ever before. We talked a lot about the pressures and expectations of society. "The IV Club" further develops what character and vitality can turn into when molded by society's formulas. It takes a creepy turn.

Being in the medical field, I wanted to explore with "Pill" how addictions are not only on the chemical level, but also related to the thoughts and voices that can torment us such as the alluring message to strive for fame and success at all costs, and sometimes with little actual effort. Yes, people do work hard out there for what they get. But our society is also encouraging something else, and that is the appearance of having "made it" without the heart of really putting yourself into anything.

"Spiritual Connection" helped me describe the dark alley side of spirituality and what can happen when we take togetherness and connection too far. "Bully" is a story that resulted from me witnessing some abhorrent things coming out of some teachers mouths about students when I was working at a tutoring center.

We have a few shorts in the book too, including "Eye Contact," "Sidetracked," and "Not the Same." These stories were written quickly, and they were a gut reaction to some pretty strong themes we all deal with in life. Rather than getting in-depth with plot, these stories are a shot of entertainment while still having a lesson involved.

"Redemption" incorporates Jason's insights into space and time after reading the book Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. It's an interesting book we both read, and I would have to read it again and again to really understand it. Still, the overall point is that we each have our own universe that we live in. What we see around us, we affect and steer. We're not simply idle passengers in a world that we are here for, rather the world in which we live is created for us. Something like that. The main character in Redemption has to make a choice that decides his destiny.

That is my detailed description! As far as ideas, I carried around a little notepad at one time. Sometimes each of us would crack open a computer and just start writing anything that came to our minds. And we talked a lot, about the world we saw around us and the changes we were noticing in people's relationships to themselves and to each other.

Thank you for asking!

Wow thanks for the very detailed answer! I am more interested now.

:) That's me, I don't think I can give a short answer ever. Ask Jason and he'll tell you. Let me know if you have any other questions or comments, and I hope you enjoy "Modern Day Fables" if you get a chance to read it.

By the way, you may have noticed the promotion I'm running right now, but just in case:

You'll find the "Modern Day Fables" e-book for free on Amazon today 4/8 and tomorrow 4/9:

Modern Day Fables free promotion--how do we live in this crazy world?

The easiest way to reach me during cycon Sunday is on Facebook and Twitter:

Aarti Facebook
Aarti Twitter

You can message me here too of course, I will just be a little longer in replying. Have a good weekend.

Thank you India! I hope you're having a good weekend.