The Hotel (Series)
The Hotel (Series)
by Michael James
Urban Fantasy
No one has ever escaped from the Hotel at the End of Time. Until now.
Vain only wants to be left alone, but the Hotel has other plans. Forces will align against her: a group of multi-dimensional felons collectively named The Wyatts; and their leader, Trick, a mild-to-medium psychopath with a fondness for impractical jokes.
The only way forward is to go back. Back to the one place in the world she swore she'd never return.
Back to the Hotel.
The Hotel at the End of Time:
Vain is the only person to ever escape from the Hotel at the end of time. On her way out, she took their prized possession: A Padlock that grants immortality.
They will do anything to get it back.
The forces of the Hotel are aligned against her: mundane items turned into weapons; a group of multi-dimensional felons collectively named The Wyatts; and their leader, Trick, a mild-to-medium psychopath with a fondness for impractical jokes.
Everything changes when Vain meets Emma, a timid grad student with impossible and terrifying powers. Together, they are propelled into an adventure that will see them battle the Wyatts, blow up several objects of significant value, and quite by accident, discover a way to stop the Hotel.
Even with Emma, Vain has a lot of problems to deal with.
She’s exhausted from being hunted.
Stopping the Hotel might kill them.
She has a hangnail.
But Vain is resourceful. Vain is clever.
And she always has a plan.
Excerpt:
The woman glanced over. “I’m Emma, by the way. Thank you for helping me.”
“I’m Vain.”
Emma blinked and positioned the rear-view mirror so it showed Vain her reflection. “Is that better?”
Vain shook her head. “My name. My actual name is Vain.”
“Are you, like, a street artist?”
Vain sighed. “I’m just me.”
“How did you know who those men were? How did you know they were after me?”
“They’re not men,” replied Vain. “They’re things. Their name is Wyatt. Their only job is to find people like you and take them back to a place called the Hotel. It’s a place I escaped from.”
“How are they all called Wyatt? Why do they look the same?”
“They’re from alternate Earths.” Vain waved her hand, shooing away the explanation.
“I don’t believe you,” Emma said. “I’m sorry. I know I’m supposed to humor crazy, but I’m exhausted. Please tell me the truth.”
“How about this? You go first. Explain how you threw a person with your mind in a way that doesn’t violate a couple dozen natural laws, and once you’re done, I’ll come up with a better explanation for duplicate psychopaths from various incarnations of Earth.”
The Well at the Bottom of Everything
Vain thought destroying the Portal to the Hotel at the End of Time would mean freedom for her and Roman, but her happy ever after is coming to an end.
A horrible mistake and a stray bullet force her to infiltrate the Hotel and contend with a new and terrible power: The Well at the Bottom of Everything.
Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken.
The Hotel will have its revenge.
Excerpt:
“Can I help you?” The perky girl behind the counter smiled like she enjoyed her job. Vain was immediately suspicious.
“Two coffees, please.”
“Sure, what size? We have mediu, moyen and mittel.”
“Are those real words?”
“Yes.”
Vain waited for a further explanation. Sweat pooled in her lower back. The man behind her coughed, and she nearly jumped. The perky girl offered no further details, but smiled more aggressively. Vain examined the menu for clues with growing distress.
“I don’t know. The third one. Mitten. Two mitten coffees, I guess. Oh and Mark said he wants an everything bagel, but I’m not sure if he meant he wants all the bagels or if he wants everything on the bagel.”
“One everything bagel and two mittel coffees. No problem. How do you take them?”
Vain wiped her forehead. A car started outside the shop and she bit her cheek. “In my hands, please. That’s fine. Hurry.”
“Cream or sugar?”
“Yes, okay. Give me two mitten coffees with cream and sugar and all the bagels in my hands. Here is some money. I’ll be on the couch.”
About the Author
Michael James spent his formative years writing, and when he wasn't writing, he was writing. A mistaken belief that a "real" job would be more satisfying led him down a dark path that did not involve writing but did involve meetings. Fortunately, he has since course-corrected and is back on the right (write? Ha!) path. The Hotel at the End of Time is not his first book, but it is the one with the most Hotels in it.
He lives in Canada with his family. When he's not writing, he does Canadian things - saying sorry a lot, being polite, talking about the weather, you know how it goes.
Q&A With the Author:
When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I'm still not sure I do. Maybe when / if this ever becomes my full-time job. For the moment, I like writing, and it's enough.
What advice do you have for a new writer?
Don't listen to the people who tell you “There are no rules / write what you want". There are most certainly rules. You can break them if you'd like, but you have to understand them first.
What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Coming up with jokes.
What is your favorite part of this story?
The interaction with the characters. They've been through a lot together, and I'm proud of how their relationships have evolved without feeling forced or falling into well-trod genre tropes.
Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?
Vain, the main character, is always the most fun to write. She's completely unlike me, she's hilarious and she's entirely self-assured. A Vain chapter is always a breeze to get through.
Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?
I always struggle with the Roman chapters. I think it's because so much of his character lives in Vain's shadow and it's hard to get him to come out and have his own distinct voice. I think I pulled it off, but he's a harder character to get myself into the headspace to write.
The Well at the Bottom of Everything
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ReplyDeleteI like the cover and the title. They set the tone for the book.
ReplyDeleteI like the title. I enjoyed reading the excerpt and the Q&A
ReplyDeleteGreat covers and I appreciate getting to find out about another great books 🙂 thanks
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds so unique. I love that.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an unique and interesting story. I enjoyed reading the synopsis and excerpt and am looking forward to reading the book, thank you for sharing the details
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting fantasy read. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteI think I will add this one to my TBR list.
ReplyDelete