On the Threshold

 

 

On the Threshold

by M. Laszlo

GENRE: Historical Science Fiction

 

BLURB:

Obsessed with learning the origins of the cosmos, the actual meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary ideas. Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a series of bold, pioneering occult-science experiments by which to resolve the riddle of the universe once and for all. However, Fingal forgets how violent and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating themselves. Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being, Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Fräulein Wunderwaffe did not return the smile. Hand on heart, the little girl drew a bit closer. Then, as the hot, animalistic presence undulated all across Fingal’s body, the little girl’s eyes grew wide. Until the little girl’s expression turned to that of a vacant stare. 

A moment later, her feet pointed inwards, she removed her hat and undid her long, flaxen hair.

Again, he cringed. “If you’ve noticed something, ignore all. This hasn’t got anything to do with you.” A third time, he cringed.

A most ethereal, lyrical, incomprehensible hiss commenced then: from the other end of the winding, decorative-brick driveway, each clay block shining the color of blue Welsh stone, a sleek Siamese cat with a coat of chocolate-spotted ivory had just appeared. And now the creature raced toward his shadow. 

As he looked into the animal’s big, searching, blue eyes, the chocolate Siamese studied the off-center tip of his nose. Then the animal turned away, as if to compare the peculiarity with that of some disembodied visage hovering in the distance. 

Out upon the loch, meanwhile, a miraculous rogue wave suddenly arose—and now the swell crashed against the pebbly strand. 

Not a moment later, a cool flame crawled across Fingal’s throat. The strange fire rattled, too—not unlike the sound of fallen juniper leaves caught up in the current and dancing against the surface of a stone walkway. 

Crivens. By now, the alien, pulsating presence held him so tight that he could barely breathe. Before long, he fell to the earth, and as the dreamlike flame continued to move across his throat, he rolled all about—until the illusory sensation of cool warmth wriggled and twisted and dropped into his neck dimple.

About the Author:

M. Laszlo is an aging recluse who lives in Bath, Ohio. Rumor holds that his pseudonym is a reference to Victor Laszlo, a character in the classic film Casablanca. On the Threshold is his first release with the acclaimed, Australian hybrid house AIA Publishing. Oddly, M. Laszlo insists that his latest work, On the Threshold, does in fact provide the correct answer to the riddle of the universe.  

Q&A With the Author: 

Who is your favorite author and why? 

No favorite author. However, I do love the haiku poets of Shogun-era Japan. Their poetry soothes me, makes me feel glad to be alive, and always reminds me of my beloved mom—may she rest in peace.

What is something unique/quirky about you? 

Starting with On the Threshold, I keep inventing my own religions. Honestly, some of my manuscripts feature new religions that more or less contradict the one outlined at the end of this book. Isn’t that odd?

What was your inspiration for writing this book? 

Such things as crime and psychopathy made me want to champion a protagonist who personified all the good that the human mind can do. And it seems to me that nothing could be better than resolving the riddle of the universe and explicating the origins of life, the meaning of life, and the purpose of civilization.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? 

Scots English. In order to make my Scottish protagonist seem real it was necessary to give him an authentic voice. I’m glad of it. Scottish and British colloquialisms are fascinating.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about? 

Yes. Soon enough, I’ll be releasing my dark-obsession, coming-of-age story Anastasia’s Midnight Song. And I’m already hard at work on its sequel.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I’m too obscure to have fans. To my readers, I say hello and take care.

Buy link: https://aiapublishing.com/product/on-the-threshold-m-laszlo/

GIVEAWAY

M. Laszlo will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Be sure to visit the other tour participants for more opportunities to win!

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