Hi everyone! I am hosting author Nikki Minty a second time this week and in this post, she is sharing more about herself and her Zodak series. Pastel Pink is the first book and this trilogy is about reincarnations in a unique manner. Let’s check it out!
Get to know the author: Nikki
Welcome to Armed with A Book, Nikki! It is wonderful to host you again after the information post on self-publishing. Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!
I live in sunny Noosa, Australia, where it’s HOT but beautiful.
I have two kids, two rescue greyhounds, and a little powder puff who loves to chew and bark.
When I’m not reading and writing, I love getting arty.
Confession… I have a ridiculously large collection of Monster High Dolls.
What inspired you to write this book?
My son Randall Jackson, AKA RJ, helped to inspire The Zadok Series.
We were sitting in the library waiting for his sister to finish her art class when the question “I wonder what happens after you die” came up.
RJ said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if every time we died, we regenerated onto a different Planet?”
Of course, I jumped on this idea and together we discussed what the different races on the next planet would look like and what new capabilities/powers they would have.
As a tribute, I’ve modelled a character after my son RJ. He has Aspergers/Autism and is quirky with a brain like an encyclopaedia.
How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?
Book 1, Pastel Pink, took three years to write due to heartache. My partner Kieran lost his best friend to tragic circumstances, and then just over a year later I lost my father. The editing process took a further three months.
Book 2, Ruby Red, only took me four months to write. Covid hit and I was housebound, leaving me with plenty of time to get creative. The editing process took a further three months.
Book 3, Powerful Purples, took eight months to write. The extreme Covid restrictions had lifted, so I was back to dividing my writing time with responsibilities. The editing process took a further three months.
What makes your book unique?
While the concept of reincarnation isn’t new, the concept of reincarnating on a foreign planet is. Zadok is an original world with original races, and to add to the intrigue, Harlow is now able to project to Earth as a ghost of her former self.
Who would enjoy reading your book?
Although my books have action scenes, they are more character driven than action driven. Fans of character driven stories in the YA, SCI-FI/Fantasy, romance, genre may want to check out The Zadok Series.
What’s something you hope readers would take away from it?
Not everything is what it seems. Sometimes there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
Don’t let others force you into believing a certain race, colour, or way of living is wrong. Take a closer look and let yourself be the decider.
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in the book that you find yourself going back to?
“I don’t know why we don’t integrate all colours together in our working system, I mean, I understand there are some jobs Pastels can’t physically do, but there are a lot of jobs they can do, and they should be able to apply for them.” His words leave me stunned. “I feel like there is so much segregation between us,” he continues, “yet we are all one race—we should stick together, work together, and build towards a brighter future.”
Pastel Pink
Pastel Pink
From one ending comes a new beginning…
Ruby was murdered on Earth eighteen years ago and reincarnated on Zadok as a Pastel Zeek named Harlow. To be born at the bottom of her race’s caste colour system to a middle-class family of Magentas has made Harlow a source of conflict amongst the ruling Purples, and a source of derision from all three colours.
When Harlow is attacked by a fuegor on Zadok, the effects of its slow reacting venom triggers an unforeseen phenomenon, and due to the strong connection she had with her former twin sister Jade, her human spirit is unexpectedly drawn back to Earth.
Now living a double life, she has plunged into a world of intrigue on both planets.
On earth, she watches on in horror as Jade reconnects with Lucas, the man who murdered her and got away with it. And to complicate things further, she’s being pursued by Alex, the ghost of Lucas’ twin. On Zadok, she becomes embroiled with Jax, the son of the Commanding family. He’s determined to bring about change to the colony’s colour system, but it’ll come at a cost.
As Harlow mixes with the political intrigue of the Zeeks, will she become a victim of those trying to rigidly maintain the status quo or will she usher in a revolution?
And will ghost Ruby resist the temptation of the handsome Alex or pursue an impossible relationship that could have dire consequences on both planets?
Content notes: Violence, abuse references, mild infrequent coarse language.
Find this book on Goodreads, Indie Story Geek, Amazon. Chapters 1 and 2 are available to listen to on Nikki’s website so check out the audio excerpts here.
Links for other books in the series:
Book Excerpt from
Pastel Pink
Chapter 1
From one ending comes a new beginning
(Earth, eighteen years earlier)
The crunch of dry undergrowth crackles in my ears as his pursuing footsteps grow louder—closer. I gulp. Slowly, shakily, I wipe blonde strands of hair from my sweaty face and take a second to glance behind me. The glimmer of his knife catches my eye, and my stomach lurches. I curse. He’s much closer than I’d thought.
“Ruuuby,” he stresses the U of my name with a guttural drawl. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”
A shudder flickers through my wounded frame. It’s only a matter of time before he finds me hidden here. I need to keep moving.
I spring to my feet and my vision swims. I’m met with a crippling surge of pain. I bite down on my lip to hold in a scream, but my hand accidentally brushes past a branch of dried leaves, giving away my location with a rustle.
“There you are.” The thuds of his footsteps come rushing towards me.
Panic kicks my heart into overdrive, and I race off deeper into the bush. A sharp branch nicks my shoulder, while another scrapes my thigh. I wince, but I force myself to keep running—I must.
Blood oozes from the stab wound at my side, warm and sticky, and I am thankful the night sky is dark enough to conceal my blood trail.
“Ruby,” Lucas calls again. The harshness of his voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Stop running. I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to talk.”
My torn-up feet burn and threaten to do as he says, but my mind knows better; he’s already hurt me. His words mean nothing… Run.
My lungs feel heavy with moisture. Even past midnight, the humidity of the Aussie-summer-air is suffocating. With each stride I take, I find it harder to breathe.
Despite Lucas’ troubled past, I’d never known him to act this way before. I’d never seen him as a threat. The Lucas I knew was shy and introverted. I’d felt sorry for him.
My eye socket and nose throb, and I can taste the metallic tang of blood seeping into my mouth, but these injuries are nothing compared to the gaping stab wound which burns at my side.
“He will never love you the way I love you,” Lucas says, and with a rumble, he clears his throat. “He will never make you happy.”
My relationship with Josh hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but he’s never physically hurt me. If this is Lucas’ way of showing me love, then I don’t want it.
The deeper into the bush I get, the less I can see, and soon, I’m running blind. After only minutes, my foot catches on an obstacle, and I stumble. The left side of my body collides with a tree, causing my knee to twist sideways.
Another curse word erupts from my lips, and I cringe. The pain is unbearable; I want to curl up in a ball and cry, but I can’t stop now. I must keep moving.
I lunge forward, willing myself to focus on my destination, not my injury, but after only a measly few metres my wounded leg fails me, and I stagger dangerously on the uneven ground. Frightened of falling, I grab hold of a tree trunk for balance, and then one by one, I use the line of trunks before me to drive myself forward. I’m not moving fast enough, and I’m making far too much noise.
The crunching of dried scrub echoes loud behind me, and before I know it, Lucas is hot on my tail—so close—I can hear the wheeze of his breath.
“Got ya.”
Lucas’ hand yanks my shoulder back, and I’m too weak to fight it. I lose my balance. My feet slip out from under me, and I plummet into the scrub with a thump. Panic envelopes me. QUICK! Get back up. As agonising as it is, I roll onto my back and use my arms to lever my body into a seated position. The shadow of his frame towers above me. He’s tall and solid, and above all, he is strong.
“Please,” I beg. I hold up my arm to block my face. “Don’t hurt me.”
“Oh, Ruby.” He kneels and puts his hand on my knee, causing me to flinch. “I never wanted to hurt you, it’s only that you made me so angry.”
He attempts to take me by the arm, but I pull back sharply. “Now, now,” he warns. He reaches for my arm again, and this time I let him take it, afraid of what he’ll do next if I continue to make him angry. He stands and hoists me to my feet. The movement is swift and causes my entire body to scream in protest. I grit my teeth, holding in a cry. I can’t let him see me as weak. A thousand scenarios click over in my head. I have to trick him—I have to escape, but how?
His hand cups my cheek, and I long to pull away. I stare at the knife clasped in his other hand. There is limited moonlight, and the tip of the knife is covered in blood, yet somehow it still glimmers. It taunts me. He terrifies me.
Interested?
Connect with Nikki on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon and her website. You can also find all her books on Audible.
These books are on my TBR (many thanks to Nikki for the complimentary review copies!) and I will be back with my reading experience for them in the future.
If you are an indie author and would like to do a book excerpt, check out my work with me page for details.
Cover image: Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
Wow, this is excellent! Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog twice this week. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with you.
Looking forward to the next one 🙂