Welcome, friend! Today I am celebrating the release of P. J. Marie’s latest book, Synth. This book is the first in aThe Reborn series and is a unique blend of crime and speculative fiction! I am looking forward to reading it myself. You may remember P. J. from a guest post about creativity tools for writers earlier this year. Let’s hear from her!
Get to know the author: P. J. Marie
Hi P. J.! Welcome back to Armed with A Book. Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!
Hello, thank you so much for having me again. Working with you is always such a pleasure, and I’m happy to be back!
My name is P. J., and I like to tell stories. Professionally I’m an engineer, and I spent a decade working in the design world with most of my time focused on project management. Creativity has always been a huge part of my life, but it wasn’t until 2021 that I decided to put my first story out into the world and pursue a career in writing. I haven’t looked back since, and it has quickly become my most favourite thing in the world.
What inspired you to write this book?
It came about the same way that many of my ideas do—I ask myself questions, What if X happened? Why would X do Y? Then I chase them down the rabbit hole to see where it leads me.
I’ve read many vampire novels and watched a bunch of movies as well, and while I absolutely love them, they heavily rely on the supernatural, nearly always come across as unrealistic, and have the vampires hiding from the world. They’re enjoyable, but they always left me wondering: what would really happen if vampires existed? Why would they hide if they’re so dangerous? What would the world look like? And from a practical perspective, how could they be real? In other words, what could create vampires without the supernatural element?
It was through these questions that I came up with the world for The Reborn series. I also enjoy detective crime novels, and I love mixing light fantasy with speculative fiction to develop worlds that feel real and just out of reach of the one we live in. So Synth became the answer to my questions, a detective novel with a realistic and gritty approach to vampires—sprinkled with a layer of speculative-fantasy.
How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?
It took me just over a year to plan, draft, write, edit, assemble, and fully complete this book. I used NaNoWriMo to get a solid start and initially had plans to complete the entire first draft within the month. Unfortunately, I injured my wrist in the process (apparently there is such a thing as too much writing!), so I had to step away and take a break. It took me a little longer to get through the rest of the book once it had recovered, as life has a tendency of getting in the way.
What makes your story unique?
I think what makes this story unique is the very thing that inspired me to write the book in the first place—the approach that I took for the ‘vampires’. Unlike most novels which feature vampires, in The Reborn series, the vampires aren’t supernatural, they don’t sparkle, and they aren’t afraid of garlic. Instead, I tried to take a practical approach to their species and how they could have come about.
It resulted in a brand new vampire-based species and a world somewhat comparable to ours and yet entirely different.
Synth is the first book in the The Reborn series. Tell me about the series. Do you already know how many books it will have?
Right now I’m planning for three books. However, that could change as I get writing. The rest of the story is outlined, but I’m open to it changing, growing, and developing as I go. I write best when I have a plan, but I always think it’s wise to allow your characters and world to develop naturally. So it is possible that there could be more books.
What is something you have learned on your author journey so far?
Oh goodness, so many things. Everything from worldbuilding to publishing—I’ve learned a lot. I think the number one thing so far is to find your audience and never give up. Your book will not be for everyone. Even the most popular or well-known books in the world have mixed reviews. It is impossible to appeal to everyone, so don’t try to. You’ll end up writing a mess that appeals to no one because you can’t possibly incorporate every piece of advice when they contradict each other. Find your style, find your audience, but always be open to feedback and willing to improve.
What’s the best piece of advice you have received related to writing?
The best advice I have received for writing is to just get words on the page. They don’t need to be great. They don’t even need to be good. Even if they are terrible, having something on the page is better than nothing, because you can always re-write, tweak, edit, and improve something, but you cannot work on nothing.
If you could give a shout out to someone(s) who has helped in your writer journey, please feel free to mention them below!
Ginny, Dan, and Julie—their support is incredible and they have listened to me ramble on about ideas for far too many hours. Without their encouragement, I would never have completed any of my books.
Where can readers find you on the Internet?
On my website you can sign up for my mailing list, see the complete collection of my works, sneak peaks, and more: https://www.pjmarie.com/
For more frequent updates, bookish content, and writing advice, you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Synth
Detective novel with a speculative-fantasy twist
Published 2023
A rookie detective and a case that could redefine history… Some truths are hard to swallow.
Vampire—a taboo slur from childhood tales, reserved for degenerate Reborn and outcasts of society.
Dedicated officer of the law Valya Gorski strives to be an example of perfection within the Carneth Police Department. Granted the rare opportunity to join the Detective Unit, Gorski is determined to prove her worth. But when she is partnered with a ruthless senior detective known for pushing the limits and ruining his partners’ careers, what Gorski uncovers shakes her to the core.
Her first investigation brings her face to face with a human—and he’s nothing like the ones at the farm. He’s taller. Smarter. Stronger. Angry. And more capable than Gorski could have ever imagined.
Confronted with the horrifying reality of how her society sustains itself, Gorski’s sense of duty and morality collide. As she races to determine who can be trusted, she must make an impossible decision: uphold the law or pursue a truth that leaves her wondering if her own people, the Reborn, are closer to the monsters from childhood folktales than she realized.
Unravel the truth in a world of deception with Synth, the dark detective novel with an imaginative fantasy twist. From the author that brought you the dystopian adventure Veles comes a page-turning tale of crime, romance, and betrayal that will leave you craving more!
Synth is the first book in an exciting new series that blends together a dark world of crime with a unique speculative-fantasy setting—think urban alternate reality comparable to ours. There’s romance (slow burn), deception, action, and tough choices. The story’s premise involves crime within a major city and vampires who rely on humans for food, so this book touches on some dark topics/themes, and there is mild violence at the end of the book. However, this novel does not include horror elements or gore.
We believe that Synth is appropriate for many readers and is no more graphic than most mainstream TV shows/movies. However, general content warnings for Synth could include:
- Mild violence and cursing
- Descriptions of blood and injuries (not in excess)
- Mentions of large city crime events, including murder and human/child trafficking
- Smoking, pregnancy (conversation only), death (on page but not excessive), political corruption, hunting, and the consumption of blood-related products (inherent to the plot given the ‘Vampire’ nature of the story).
Book Excerpt from Synth
I was just approaching the large oak tree before my last set of sensors when suddenly my nose flooded with a familiar scent, and I froze.
It was blood.
Human blood.
I stiffened, my eyes shifting through the trees, looking for any sign of movement. I inched my way through the grass, careful and silent until the massive rock formation came into view, and I stopped. Just before my set of sensors on the north side was a human, and its leg was stuck in a foothold trap.
I stared at it, and it stared at me.
It had been trying to pry the trap open to no avail, but had stilled the moment that I came into view. I could see it squinting at me through the fading darkness, trying to make out the details of my form. My eyes traced over its frame, and my mouth fell open in disbelief as my fingers, which were millimetres away from my radio, twitched, then hesitated.
This was a wild human?
I took an unconscious step forward, unable to look away from it as my heart began to thud against my chest. At my movement, the human shifted, hesitating for only a split second before it moved so quickly I could hardly believe it. I didn’t know they were capable of being so fast. The ones I had seen at the farm were sluggish and listless, but before I could even process what was going on, the human drew a knife from its jacket pocket—and I instantly knew what it was going to do as the blade lifted into the air. It was going to do what any animal would do when caught in a trap, and before I could think, I moved, forgetting my radio completely as both of my hands shot out.
“Wait!” I shouted, my voice sounding desperate as I darted across the ground through the sensor line toward the trapped human. “Wait! Stop! Don’t cut your leg off!”
It froze, the knife inches away from its calf, as I reached it and dropped to my knees. I had seen one of these traps once, way back at the Academy, when we briefly covered poaching laws. I had no idea how long the human had been stuck, but I knew I needed to pry back the springs on both sides to open the jaws, and I knew I needed to do it quickly. These traps cut off blood flow, and if the human had been here long enough, the damage could be severe.
Without pausing to think, I grabbed the cold metal. Hot blood covered my hands as my fingers curled around the spring tabs—it was bright red, vibrant, and nothing like the dull near-brown colour of my own. Pushing the trap into the ground, I shoved the springs on either side down, grunting at the effort and throwing all my weight behind it as the jaws started to open. The second they were wide enough, the human pulled their leg from the metal bars, and I let go—the clamp snapped shut with a sharp clank as I let out a breath of relief.
Then I looked up at the human and stiffened head to toe.
It was a male—and he was unlike any other human I had seen to date.
He looked nothing like the tiny lifeless creatures at the farm. He looked nothing like the humans from our school books. He was taller. Even with him sitting on the ground before me, I could tell that he was larger than I was. He looked healthy. Fit. Strong—with messy brown hair that nearly reached his broad shoulders. My eyes trailed up his form, and my chest squeezed tight.
His clothes were dirty and covered in blood. His skin was sun-kissed and tan. There was stubble on his face, something I had never seen before. Reborn didn’t grow facial hair, and even if they could, it was considered inferior—something that only a degenerate would do.
I watched the shocked surprise slowly fade from his eyes as his gaze trailed over my face. Humans didn’t see well in the dark from what I remembered Carl telling me. Maybe that was why he had hesitated when I’d called out for him to stop. Maybe he had thought I was another human because I was so small. But I was close enough for him to see me clearly now, and his expression twisted into one of pure hatred and disgust as his knife came up once more, and he scrambled across the ground to get away from me.
“Get back,” he said, trying and failing to stand as I stood and staggered away from his hostile movements.
“You can speak?” I breathed, watching dumbfounded as he forced himself to stand with a groan and hobbled back another two steps.
“Of course I can speak!” he spat, pointing the knife at my face as he glared at me. “Is that what they teach you? That we’re mute and incapable of cognitive thought? Unbelievable – fucking vampires.”
I cringed at the word, my blood-covered hands shaking in the air before me as I struggled to rationalize what the hell I was seeing.
He was standing. This human was standing and trying to stumble away despite his injury. I could see blood dripping down his leg. The wound had yet to heal. I knew almost nothing about human biology, but I knew that having an open wound of that size couldn’t be a good thing—especially out here. I glanced back up to his face, seeing beads of sweat forming across his brow. I could smell it. It was musky and laced with stress, but nowhere near as bitter and horrible as the odour that lingered through the farms.
“You’re in pain,” I whispered, my eyes dropping back to his leg. “If that doesn’t heal, it’s going to get infected.”
I reached for my vest, my body acting on instinct before my brain could catch up. I pulled out the balaclava that I had started carrying on me after my first night out in the woods for protection in case I got stuck out in the sun instead of dragging my helmet along. It wasn’t much material, but I didn’t have much else. I didn’t carry many medical supplies because they weren’t really something that I ever needed—especially when in uniform. I had a few small bandages in my bag that could cover a moderate sunburn and some old antiseptic spray, but it wouldn’t be enough for his injuries. I ripped off my bag next, dropping to my knees and wiping my bloodied hands on the grass before I reached inside and pulled out what little I had. I gathered it all up, then stood and stepped toward him.
He staggered back, nearly falling over as his injured leg gave out.
“You won’t be able to walk on that,” I said, stopping in my tracks. My watch beeped, signifying one hour until sunrise, and my body tingled as I looked around at the brightening sky. “Shit – I – I have to go.”
I dropped the limited supplies on the ground, stepping back once more as I looked at him.
“If – if you wait here, I can bring you more stuff.”
I staggered toward my bag, quickly closing it and hauling it from the ground. My legs were trembling. I couldn’t think. He was staring at me with so much resentment and hatred I could feel it in my bones. It made me feel sick. I would take Hakim’s cold cruelty over this human’s revulsion any night. He looked like he was cursing my very existence with his gaze.
“I’ll come back,” I said, hardly believing the words as they left my lips. I forced myself to shoulder my pack, stumbling on the uneven ground as I struggled to breathe. “If – if you stay there by that rock – I’ll be able to find you. I’ll come back with more stuff in a few hours and fix your leg.”
I was going to vomit.
I could taste the bile in my mouth.
Why did I say that?
What was I thinking?
I turned on my heel, glancing back at his motionless form before I darted away, only to stop when I saw the camera…
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