The Taste Beneath.
Some just wanted to survive the war. Others wanted to exploit it.
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, and all E-Book formats.
My debut novel takes you into a world of survival, forcing you to question how much of your moral compass you would break in order to keep your loved ones safe. My original idea was to write a global conflict story, and this stemmed way back in 2011. I had a whole plot written out, but it never really took off, so I sought after a different angle to tell the story of what becomes known as ‘The Fast War’.
It came easier for me to write about the survivors of the war, as the story could be told from an anybody/everybody perspective. It could appeal to all readers, as the main focus centred around people just like you and I.
I never intended for it to fall in the ‘Post Apocalyptic’ genre, and I still don’t consider it to be, it’s just so happens to be the environment it takes place in (Kind of like how Inglorious Basterds isn’t a WW2 movie, it just happens to take part in it.)
Due to the harsh environment of ‘The Taste Beneath’, I wanted to make the world a character of it’s own. It’s unforgiving, ugly, and painful. To stop this story from becoming a full-on snuff book, I had to paint extra layers on the most important part of the story- the characters.
Peoples struggles:
I said that writing from a survival aspect was based from your average person perspective, so extra efforts went into writing the characters. I was extremely happy with the plot, twists, conspiratorial outline, and the back story - however, the characters are what makes this story believable. A number of readers have all said that what makes this story scary is not the blood or action, but just how real it could be.
What I want is for readers to come away wondering how they would prosper in a world that won’t stop dealing out shitty cards. I loved writing The Taste beneath, and I truly hope you enjoy reading it. Please find the synopsis below.
Synopsis.
Five years had passed since The Fast War, and Ryan wasn’t sure there was anyone left to save in the lawless, ungoverned remains of Southern England.
When a nearby community comes under attack, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over his family and friends’ lives. Finding out their home, Penbrook Vineyard, was next to be targeted, the search for peaceful resolve becomes paramount.
As the depravity of human capability shows itself, Ryan realises he’ll have to sacrifice his morals to keep everyone safe, becoming as ruthless as the enemy outside their gates.