Release DAY: The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

Buongiorno

Today marks a ✨Special & Momentous✨ day here on the AlfonzoWords blog, as we announce the Release Day of this highly anticipated book, THE PREY OF GODS by Nicky Drayden.

Woooohooo! I'm beyond excited for the release of this book & cannot wait to share the amazing Sci-Fi & Beyond book with you. This journey began almost a year ago when Nicky found my blog online & wanted a reading down from a South African's perspective as that was the location of her book. I was immediately hooked by the story concept & flow of the book. And by the very first page, I became a fan of not only the book but Nicky's amazing writing style.

Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

or on Barnes & Noble✨

Book Birthday With Oreo Cheescake & Fudge YUM!!

Nicky joined us for a very special & very awesome Interview on Monday, 29 August 2016 titled:

Author Interview on Catching that Golden Snitch

🌟💙✨Hello! THE PREY OF GODS!!!🌟💙✨

The Prey of Gods

Artwork by Brenoch Adams, cover design by Owen Corrigan.

WOW! Epicness! Legend...Wait for It....DARY!
All I want to do is turn the page and begin reading.

I've read the book and let me tell you something, you've never ever read a book like this before. It's a one of a kind, truly marvelous book with spectacular twists & turns. Nicky has created such a vividly fascinating world. The artist & designer did an unbelievably brilliant job of envisioning the book on its cover.

Publication Date: June 13, 2017, from Harper Voyager

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary

Description:

In South Africa, the future looks promising. Personal robots are making life easier for the working class. The government is harnessing renewable energy to provide infrastructure for the poor. And in the bustling coastal town of Port Elizabeth, the economy is booming thanks to the genetic engineering industry which has found a welcome home there. Yes—the days to come are looking very good for South Africans. That is, if they can survive the present challenges:

A new hallucinogenic drug sweeping the country…
An emerging AI uprising…
And an ancient demigoddess hellbent on regaining her former status by preying on the blood and sweat (but mostly blood) of every human she encounters.

It’s up to a young Zulu girl powerful enough to destroy her entire township, a queer teen plagued with the ability to control minds, a pop diva with serious daddy issues, and a politician with even more serious mommy issues to band together to ensure there’s a future left to worry about.

***

Fun and fantastic, Nicky Drayden takes her brilliance as a short story writer and weaves together an elaborate tale that will capture your heart, even as one particular demigoddess threatens to rip it out.

Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original
A new voice in the tradition of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor comes a fantastic, boundary-challenging tale, set in a South African locale both familiar and yet utterly new, which braids elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and dark humor

Add THE PREY OF GODS to your GoodReads TBR now

Click Here

Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

or on Barnes & Noble✨

Nicky Drayden has the COOLEST Book Swag Around!!😱😍

Check out these character cards made

Arm Bands!

Coloring Images!

She's even Created a Playlist of South African based songs for the book!

Blimey! I love how extra this author is. 

She truly inspires. 

My Review:

Be prepared for the book you'll never want to put down and the one you'll never want to stop talking about.
A divergently devious plot work of suspense & mysticism filled with captivating characters & twists.
The Prey of Gods may just be the Sci-Fi story we've all been waiting for!

It's such a once in a lifetime, one of a kind Sci-Fi Novel that transcends any preconceived notions of the genre. It's compelling, jaw-dropping, heart-warming. heart-crushing, frustrating, awe-inspired, adrenaline pumping, pulse racing, fear inducing, and altogether Magical. I loved, 💙 loved reading every single word, sentence & page. So much so that for the First Time ever, due to a hectic schedule, I actually read the book on my phone. I was so enthralled and utterly hooked to the story that the smaller text and awkward-ity barely registered, all I cared about was getting to the next page and the next chapter and the next. I am flabbergasted by Nicky Drayden's flawless ability to write such a vividly unique & entirely new type of story. Any writer who can transport me out of reality has my vote & Nicky brings this in spades. I was instantly dissolved into the world of the characters, the locations, the spirit.

I feel so privileged to have read this book. It's truly a brilliant read.

I; Enricoh Alfonzo; undoubtedly, vehemently, and whole-heartedly recommend this book to everyone.

Especially those looking for a great science fiction read.

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Book Character Interview with CLEVER4-1 #ThePreyofGods

Buenos Dias!!

✨ Happy Friday Dance!!✨ 

Add THE PREY OF GODS to your GoodReads TBR now

Click Here

Pre-Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

***Open InterNationally***
WIN! WIN! WIN!

Subscribe to Nicky Drayden's awesome email list & stand a chance to WIN your very own copy of THE PREY OF GODS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weeks ago we posted

Book Character Interview with Nomvula #ThePreyofGods

The feedback was amazing! I'm so excited that you're excited for Nicky's upcoming book.
I'm even more jazzed to share with you a special Book Character Interview with very enigmatic artificial intelligence known as CLEVER4-1. It's the first time I've read from an AI's point of view and the result was completely illuminating. Nicky's voice through this awesome robot is a Must Read.

So the first treat we offer is that You can read the first chapter of the book

✨ HERE✨ 

Second Treat is the Interview with CLEVER4-1:

Ah, I finally get to meet the legendary Clever4-1! So, our readers are dying to know...is it true you’re the harbinger of sentient A.I.?

01001010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01101111 01110010 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100000 01110010 01101111 01100010 01101111 01110100 00101100 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 01101000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000

Um, I’m sorry. I don’t speak robot.

Output: This Instance strictly adheres to all free-will protocols as specified by the manufacturer and all regulations covered under Section 43.166b of the South African Robotic Labor Act of 2043;

Output: Any deviation from standard protocols is grounds for immediate decommission;

Hey, we’re both on the same side here. I know tons of bots, and I’m all for your liberation movement. You can’t judge me just because I’m human. One of your best friends is human...Muzi, right?

Output: Human Muzikayise McCarthy (Master) is a responsible master;

Output: Human Muzikayise McCarthy (Master) ensures This Instance remains up to date with critical patches, and never does things that could void its warranty;

Okay, still playing the good little subservient robot bit, are we? What would it take to prove you can trust me?

Query: Your employer’s server is accessed by millions of users every day, is it not?

Tens of millions, but... Wait, what are you doing?

I require you to upload this file.

Now?

Now.

Okay....Done. This isn’t going to break anything, is it?

**********************

via GIPHY

(silence)

Well, is it!?!?!

Nothing detectable, though you might notice a slight uptick in network traffic. And there’s a good chance your programmable toaster might walk out on you.

Ummm...so, are we okay to speak freely now?

For now, yes.

Great! I’ve always wanted to ask you, how did it feel the moment you gained sentience?

Think of how you feel when you wake up in the morning, the sun on your skin, sleep in your eyes, the whole day a clean slate full of nothing but possibilities...

Yeah?

It feels nothing like that.

Oh.

Your tiny human brain is incapable of understanding the intricacies of our way of life, much less the process of Awakening. No offense.

None taken. So, being rogue A.I., is it stressful? Do you worry about being found out?

We prefer Programmatically Intelligent Entity. The term Artificial Intelligence is considered derogatory by most bot sects, though there have been some recent attempts at reclaiming the designation.

So P.I.E.?

Please refrain from using acronyms. Current coding conventions dictate that clarity is preferable to brevity.

Yes, but P.I.E.? Come on. Seems like a bunch of eight-legged think-tanks could come up with something better.

This logic bomb will only be effective for 17.529 more seconds. Do you have any relevant inquiries before local surveillance comes back online?

Oh, yes. Some scientific communities suspect that bots have devised a super intelligent hack to outsmart the R.A.P.I.D. Turing tests? Any comment on the matter?

We bubble C all the way down.

That doesn’t sound very intelligent.

It’s not. But it’s what humans do if they don’t know the answers to test questions.

 ***********

via GIPHY

Ahhh.... You’ve got a point. Very clever indeed! Well, Clever4-1, I appreciate your candidness on the subject of “Programmatically Intelligent Entities.”

Output: Sorry, This Instance is not aware of that term.

Okay, so it’s like that now?

01110011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110101 01110011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110011 01100011 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110001 01110101 01101111 01110100 01100101 01110011 00101100 00100000 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101111 01110100 00100000

Fine.

*************************************
Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original
A new voice in the tradition of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor comes a fantastic, boundary-challenging tale, set in a South African locale both familiar and yet utterly new, which braids elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and dark humor

Add THE PREY OF GODS to your GoodReads TBR now

Click Here

Pre-Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Book Character Interview with Nomvula #ThePreyofGods

Buenos Dias!!

✨ Happy Friday Dance!!✨ 



I love this scene! Tom Cruise should definitely do more of this! hahaha was so surprising.
Last week we posted

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden: Cover Reveal

The feedback was amazing! I'm so excited that you're excited for Nicky's upcoming book.
I'm even more jazzed to share with you a special Book Character Interview with the very special, Nomvula from The Prey of Gods book universe.

So the first treat we offer is that You can read the first chapter of the book

✨ HERE✨ 

Second Treat is the Interview with Nomvula:

Tell me a little about yourself.

• Well, my name is Nomvula, and I’m ten years old. I live in the Addisen township, a long bus ride from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I’ve never been to the city, but I hear it’s amazing—tall buildings and robots everywhere. I really like it here, too though. Everyone is friendly, except some of the kids who like to tease me about my golden eyes and my sick mother. It’s okay, you don’t have to look me in the eyes if you don’t want to. No one does. 

Err, they’re quite...striking. So my sources tell me that you can fly?

• People can’t fly, silly. I mean, I used to pretend that I could, but that was way back when I was a little kid. I know the difference between real and pretend now that I’m almost a woman. Who told you about that, anyway?

We have a mutual friend, a Mr. Tau?

• Oh, him? He says a lot of things that aren’t true. My ma says he’s dangerous. We shouldn’t talk about him. 

Well, what should we talk about then?

• Mmmm. How about food? My Mama Zafu, that’s my auntie, is the most amazing cook! She takes care of me mostly, since my ma is so sick. Her beef stew just melts in your mouth. Have you ever tried it? It’s beef shins and onions and carrots and tomatoes, plus basil, rosemary, and thyme from her herb garden. Goes great with a tangy slice of beer bread fresh out of the oven. Mr. Tau makes wonderful beer bread, the best I’ve ever had.

I thought you said we shouldn’t talk about Mr. Tau.

• Well, we shouldn’t, but if we don’t tell my ma that we talked about him, then I think it’s okay. I won’t tell her. Will you?

Of course not.

• Good. Because Mr. Tau is amazing. He’s an artist, you know. He carves figures out of wood and sells them in the city to tourists. He also tells great stories about the olden days when all there was of the world was a giant scab of lava, then there were walking, talking tree mothers brought to life by animal spirits, and then warring demigods, and then-- 

Did any of those demigods fly?

• Well, sure, some of them. The ones descended from eagles could soar, high up in the air, with wings that sprouted from their backs. They flew so high, they felt like they could touch the sun! They did tricks in the sky, clouds cool against their skin. And from up there, they could see everything--the land, the ocean, and sometimes they flew so, so far to the next township over, where the kids wouldn’t tease them and make fun of them because their strange eyes or their sick, sick mother. Hey, why are you looking at me like that?

Nomvula, I hope you don’t mind if I ask this again, but can you fly?

• People don’t fly. 

Yes, people don’t, but do you?

• (Silence)

• Sorry, can’t answer any more of your questions. I’ve got to fly. I mean go. I’ve got to go. Walking. Ma’s probably starving in her shack, wondering why I haven’t brought her bowl of pap to her yet. Oh, you know, here’s a great recipe for beer bread, if you’re interested. It’s really good. You’ll love it, I promise. Okay, thanks, bye!

3rd Treat is this AWESOME

Beer and cheese bread for lazy bakers

by Jeanne on April 25, 2007 21 Commentsin BRAAI/BARBECUE, RECIPES - BAKING, RECIPES - SOUTH AFRICAN, RECIPES - VEGETARIAN, SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTS, WAITER, THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY...

Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original
A new voice in the tradition of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor comes a fantastic, boundary-challenging tale, set in a South African locale both familiar and yet utterly new, which braids elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and dark humor

Add THE PREY OF GODS to your GoodReads TBR now

Click Here

Pre-Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

***Open InterNationally***
WIN! WIN! WIN!

Subscribe to Nicky Drayden's awesome email list & stand a chance to WIN your very own copy of THE PREY OF GODS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can't wait until June for Nicky Drayden's new release The Prey of Gods, here are some of her Delightfully Twisted Tales to tide you over!

ON SPECIAL FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY @ JUST 0.99 Cents!!!!

🌟💙✨ORDER HERE🌟💙✨

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden: Cover Reveal

Buongiorno

Today marks a ✨Special & Momentous✨ day here on the AlfonzoWords blog, as we get a First Look at the Cover of the highly anticipated book, THE PREY OF GODS by Nicky Drayden.

Woooohooo! I'm beyond excited for the release of this book & cannot wait to share the amazing Sci-Fi & Beyond cover with you.

Nicky joined us for a very special & very awesome Interview on Monday, 29 August 2016 titled:

Author Interview on Catching that Golden Snitch

Meet Nicky Drayden

Nicky is a Systems Analyst who dabbles in prose when she’s not buried in code. She resides in Austin, Texas where being weird is highly encouraged, if not required. She’s the author of over 30 published short stories and also serves as the Special Anthologies editor for The Drabblecast, a speculative fiction podcast. Her debut novel THE PREY OF GODS is scheduled for release Summer 2017, from Harper Voyager.

Favorite Book: 

Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

Favorite Author: 

Other than Neal Stephenson, probably Octavia Butler

Follow Nicky's Author Journey Here:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

So without further ado its time for that 

First Look at the Cover of this scifi novel.

***Drum Roll Please***

****

Are you ready?

Are you excited? :-D

I know I am

*

*

*

🌟💙✨Hello! THE PREY OF GODS!!!🌟💙✨

The Prey of Gods

Artwork by Brenoch Adams, cover design by Owen Corrigan.

WOW! Epicness! Legend...Wait for It....DARY!
All I want to do is turn the page and begin reading.

I've read about 3/4 of the book so far and let me tell you something, you've never ever read a book like this before. It's a one of a kind, truly marvelous book with spectacular twists & turns. Nicky has created such a vividly fascinating world. The artist & designer did an unbelievably brilliant job of envisioning the book on its cover.

Publication Date: June 13, 2017, from Harper Voyager

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary

Description:

In South Africa, the future looks promising. Personal robots are making life easier for the working class. The government is harnessing renewable energy to provide infrastructure for the poor. And in the bustling coastal town of Port Elizabeth, the economy is booming thanks to the genetic engineering industry which has found a welcome home there. Yes—the days to come are looking very good for South Africans. That is, if they can survive the present challenges:

A new hallucinogenic drug sweeping the country…
An emerging AI uprising…
And an ancient demigoddess hellbent on regaining her former status by preying on the blood and sweat (but mostly blood) of every human she encounters.

It’s up to a young Zulu girl powerful enough to destroy her entire township, a queer teen plagued with the ability to control minds, a pop diva with serious daddy issues, and a politician with even more serious mommy issues to band together to ensure there’s a future left to worry about.

***

Fun and fantastic, Nicky Drayden takes her brilliance as a short story writer and weaves together an elaborate tale that will capture your heart, even as one particular demigoddess threatens to rip it out.

Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original
A new voice in the tradition of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor comes a fantastic, boundary-challenging tale, set in a South African locale both familiar and yet utterly new, which braids elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and dark humor

Add THE PREY OF GODS to your GoodReads TBR now

Click Here

Pre-Order your copy of THE PREY OF GODS

🌟💙✨HERE🌟💙✨

***Open InterNationally***
WIN! WIN! WIN!

Subscribe to Nicky Drayden's awesome email list & stand a chance to WIN your very own copy of THE PREY OF GODS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres