Part of Series
On new world Philos, life continues to be a hardscrabble struggle for existence. Famine and poverty define life, vital energy sources are waning, and violence between religious factions is escalating into all-out civil war. And Trini society’s good Christian values make life especially precarious for those with secrets. When radio transmission from the Salt Valley uranium mine goes dark, Dustin jumps at the chance to investigate, seeing an escape from the insularity of his hometown and a chance to start over in the capital. Only problem is, his cowboy escort to the mine is a self-satisfied jerk. For his part, Thayil has carved himself a place in society riding shotgun for Trini cargo caravans, but La Sangre has just upped the stakes with raids in the Salt Valley. Now he’s charged with babysitting a sullen rich kid on a trip through hostile country. If they can keep from killing each other through this, Dustin and Thayil might find they have more in common than they think. Words: 95,000.
Author
In the mundane world, Eve Ocotillo plays a scientist. She escapes from the grind by conjuring tough and conflicted men and then throwing them at each other in romantic and not-so-romantic situations. Her stories range from alternate history to contemporary to science fiction and are influenced by her interest in diverse social issues, her fascination with the natural environment, and her fundamentalist upbringing. She doesn’t much like TV, but her Xbox and a new RPG can suck her in for weeks at a time. That's my book cover blurb. :) I write to feed my id and to learn a little more about myself, my values and belief systems. I believe that my strengths as a writer are in world-building and in strong, complex characterization. Nearly all of my writing explores social issues, and whereas nobody would argue that I'm anything but left, I also have empathy for more conservative value systems and work hard to keep my stories honest and above all, non-preachy. I consider myself something of a naturalist and think that comes through in my writing; I love examining and describing the natural world. I have a particular affinity for the desert. Find more of my writing at ocotillo-dawn.livejournal.com. A full description of all available stories is at http://ocotillo-dawn.livejournal.com/.... You will need an account (and for me to 'friend' you) in order to read most of them—this is about ensuring adulthood, not exclusivity. -Oco
