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<\/a><\/div>\nNew Age Crime Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless From
Shock And Excitement!<\/p>\n
\u2018Sci-fi and mystery readers shouldn\u2019t miss this one!\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2013 Readers Favorite<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nPersephone\u2019s Pool <\/b><\/p>\n
by Marie Montine<\/p>\n
Genre: SciFi Crime Thriller<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n\u201cThe settings
and the unusual killings make for compelling, often unexpected material\u2026A
detailed, futuristic detective story that is anything but typical.\u201d \u2013<\/i>\u00a0Kirkus
Reviews<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cA scrumptious mix of suspense, Seven meets Lucy in this New Age Crime Thriller that takes A hundred years from now people can visit any planet in the solar system and \u2018Author Marie Amazon<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Bookbub<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Goodreads<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Chapter One<\/p>\n Eloise\u2019s stomach turned as she tried to gather her bearings in the darkness. She felt lost and disoriented. She reached out with her hands, but they felt light as air and failed to make contact with any walls.<\/p>\n In the distance, four lights broke through the blackness.<\/p>\n Did she drink so much alcohol that she was wasted, staggering through someone else\u2019s hallway after a night of partying?<\/p>\n The lights turned into doorways, and loud laughter radiated from one of them. She moved closer to the door, which pulsed with happiness. The door opened. A five-year-old girl was chasing a bunny with long, messy hair.<\/p>\n It was Eloise\u2019s pet, Muffin!<\/p>\n Without logic or reason, Eloise hurried through the door.<\/p>\n Eloise flew out of the chamber and nearly fell over onto a grated metal floor.<\/p>\n A group of technicians ran over to help steady her before moving her to a chair.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know who you are and where you are?\u201d asked a scientist in a white spacesuit.<\/p>\n Eloise looked around the room. She was in a space station. Her astral projection had successfully latched onto a host in the form of a robotic body. But the rate of recovery and integrated hand-eye coordination was astounding; she raised her arm with no issue.<\/p>\n She shook her head, recalling what the technicians back on Earth at Asteria Applications\u2014the company responsible for creating humanoid hosts\u2014had said: Forconsciousness to find its destination in the void, the person needed to recall a vivid memory for the OBE travelerto clutch onto. When she had entered the door, she entered the host\u2019s body.<\/p>\n And one of Eloise\u2019s triggering memories was chasing her pet bunny, Muffin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Eloise Mayer. I\u2019m assisting PAAS\u2014Pluto Alliance Armed Services\u2014on a murder investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise found it so strange to be somewhere else, hearing herself talk in a different voice, and being in a body that she could sense but not really feel. She didn\u2019t have an itch, and she didn\u2019t feel hot or cold. She didn\u2019t feel hungry or full, heavy or light. She felt like she was in a VR game, her mind the controller.<\/p>\n After Eloise completed a cognitive assessment, a tall man walked into the room. He wore a black spacesuit with a purple insignia on his shoulder revealing he was with Pluto Forces, a team of soldiers who handled everything on Pluto from security to military.<\/p>\n He held out his hand. \u201cAhmed Ryker.\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise willed her hand to extend to his ingreeting. It was just like being in her own body except for the loss of touch.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got a firm grip, Miss Mayer,\u201d Ahmed said with a smile, his teeth white and pristine against his brown face.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just not used to this body yet,\u201d she said, looking around the room for a technician. \u201cCould I have a mirror, please?\u201d<\/p>\n A scientist handed her one, and Eloise thanked her. She held up the purple-rimmed glass and saw someone else looking back at her. The automaton she inhabited\u2014a green-blood, as they were commonly known\u2014had dark hair and blue eyes, unlike her own red hair and green eyes. The skin\u2019s texture was realistic; she wished she could touch it with her own hands to see how it really felt.<\/p>\n Another scientist walked into the small room with a man who looked like a blond Ken doll and who walked just as stiffly.<\/p>\n \u201cGreetings from Mars,\u201d the Ken doll said. \u201cMy name is Aiden Geth from the United Nations Interplanetary Council, Investigations\u2014UNIC Investigations, for short.\u201d He marched to Eloise as if his knees were locked. \u201cYou must be Eloise Mayer from Earth, uh, Sky \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n When his voice trailed away, Eloise finished for him. \u201cFrom Sky Script Services, on Earth. I have a doctorate in astrological studies, including astrochemistry and astrophysics.\u201d<\/p>\n Aiden\u2019s robot didn\u2019t respond or even make a move. Either his bot had malfunctioned, or he was processing what she had said. Normally it was the latter whenever she told someone her title; her country was the only one in the Western world that gave an astrologerthat title, provided the student also studied astrophysics. It was not long ago that the two were one and the same.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re ready and oriented with your host, Mr. Geth, I would like to get to it,\u201d Eloise said, letting one of the scientists help her into a lightweight black spacesuit which would allow her to blend in with the public and not arouse curiosity.<\/p>\n Eloise looked out of the window of the transport shuttle sliding down the cable as the shuttle plunged toward Pluto\u2019s surface. She didn\u2019t know how high up they were, but it was enough to make her feel nauseated. She worried she may lose connection to her host and awake in her own body, botching her first investigation.<\/p>\n Be in the here and now<\/em>, her mind whispered, returning her full attention to her surroundings.<\/p>\n The planet\u2019s surface was charcoal gray in some areas, red in others. Massive snow-topped mountains clawed ten thousand feet into the sky. The distant sunlight reminded her of an eclipse; long shadows stretched across the frozen, rocky terrain as if a bright moon cast its light transversely. What struck her as the most awe-inspiring was Charon, the massive moon in the sky. It was so large, she fretted it could fall anytime and crush them all like a boulder on an anthill.<\/p>\n She looked at Aiden next to her, who grinned inside his black space mask.<\/p>\n Ahmed\u2019s brows were furrowed as he looked down at his holotab.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Eloise asked the Ken-bot.<\/p>\n \u201cJust that a country girl from Canada is in a place like this. She is way out of her league.\u201d Aiden gazed at her smugly. He took off his helmet and ran his hand through his synthetic hair.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, let me guess.You don\u2019t appreciate your organization dumbingdown to my level of expertise,\u201d Eloise said with a sigh. \u201cYou know, with the global revolt against AI, that spirituality is on the rise again? You better get with the program.\u201d<\/p>\n Aiden didn\u2019t respond right away. \u201cJust don\u2019t get your panties in a bunch, Ellie, with what you\u2019re going to see out there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t wear panties.\u201d Eloise regretted saying it the moment it spilled out; she was more of a lady than that. She was glad her mechanical stand-in couldn\u2019t blush. \u201cAnd you can call me Dr. Mayer; only my friends call me Ellie.\u201d<\/p>\n Her statement quieted Aiden. When she stole a glance at him, she was sure that his grin this time came from genuine amusement and respect.<\/p>\n Ahmed looked up at them both. \u201cYou two aren\u2019t going to have a problem working together, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, we\u2019re fine,\u201d Eloise said, turning her attention back to the window. She was a little angry and annoyed that this new partner of hers was taking away from her experience of such a remarkable planet. She had been informed that Pluto was for the rich and elite\u2014thanks to the hefty price tag of one million U.S. credits \u2014 who really wanted to get away from it all. She looked down at the docking station as they approached, and at the massive domed city in the distance. Against the dark backdrop of the planet, the lights glowed within like an amusement park.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long does it actually take someone to travel here?\u201d Eloise breathed, captivated by the planet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes five years, so for most, it\u2019s their final destination,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cFor me, I\u2019ll stay here until I retire. Ninety-nine percent of the population are red-bloods; the green-bloods are reserved for the ones who want to take a vacation here without actually coming here, or for top-secret missions like yours. But honestly, not many people know how to successfully connect their consciousness to an android host, so it\u2019s not a popular way to travel. We have a host at our precinct, but I have never been able to use it successfully. Hell, I can\u2019t even meditate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMust have been a pretty penny to send us both up here,\u201d Aiden said.<\/p>\n Ahmed nodded. \u201cIt was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, let\u2019s not disappoint,\u201d Eloise said.<\/p>\n The transport came to a smooth stop, and they put their helmets back on. The door slid open, and a security woman greeted them asking to check their IDs. Once they were verified, they followed Ahmed into a windowed tunnel that led to the first domed city.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to Nix, where you can get your kicks, as the saying goes\u2014but don\u2019t quote me on that,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cGo to the murder scene and don\u2019t deviate from your destination, or we will immediately disengage you from your host.\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise pictured her body in a capsule-like bed chamber where nothing could touch her or else her consciousness would automatically reconnect with her physical self.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we can\u2019t <\/em>get our kicks here,\u201d Aiden said, feigning disappointment. \u201cNot much of a tour guide, but I heard you\u2019re one helluva star soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahmed gave the blond automaton a look Eloise couldn\u2019t read.<\/p>\n They walked the gravel streets toward two-story buildings, the area reminding her of a modern, colorful Western world. They passed one museum shop showcasing black, eel-like creatures slithering in water tanks. Ahmed said that deep within Pluto, there were warm oceans full of life, and the eels were one of the natural species.<\/p>\n While Pluto\u2019s fragile ground prevented the construction of tall buildings, the places\u2014and even the people\u2014appeared futuristic: Shops lured people in with colorful holographic posters and signs, and spacesuits glowed with LED lights. Visitors had to wear spacesuits while they ventured in the domes; while the domes provided some barrier from the planet\u2019s radiation, it wasn\u2019t 100%. The suits displayed the health status of the person wearing it\u2014as well as the suit itself\u2014with electroluminescent backlighting. She could only imagine what the radiation would do to a person should the dome or suits fail. But apparently, some people thrived on living on the edge, another reason for a well-off person who already had it all wanting to move here.<\/p>\n Aiden was watching her. \u201cThe surface can cavein at any time and crumble like an eggshell if this planet gets close enough to the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat will be in about 245 years,\u201d Eloise said, glancing at him. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll come up with something by then. I\u2019d be more worried about the radiation risk this planet poses.\u201d<\/p>\n Aiden studied her but remained silent.<\/p>\n They walked up the stairs of a two-story building, the corridor blocked by digital police tape. Ahmed used his holotab to disengage the digital holography signage. He swiped the electronic door lock with his wristband, and they entered the apartment.<\/p>\n \u201cYou two are lucky you can\u2019t smell this place,\u201d the soldier said, putting a clear mask over his nose. \u201cFollow me this way.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked to the last room. When they entered, it became clear why she was asked to be included on this investigation.<\/p>\n On the floor rested Trevor Ikeda, blood pooled around him. The slender, dark-haired Japanese man in his forties had deep cuts on both his stomach and forehead, the latter more of a puncture.<\/p>\n Eloise cried out and jumped back, right into Aiden\u2019s arms. He smiled self-indulgently as he looked down at her, one hand around her waist, his other hand on her hips. She straightened herself and studied the room, moving as far away from him as the room allowed.<\/p>\n \u201cI gather this is your first time seeing a deceased person,\u201d Ahmed said.<\/p>\n Eloise nodded, stealing a glance at Aiden, whose gaze lingered on her.<\/p>\n \u201cThen I apologize on behalf of PAAS, for our misinformation,\u201d the Indian soldier said. \u201cWe should\u2019ve had the body removed before your arrival and given you images to work with instead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Eloise said. \u201cI appreciate your concern. I\u2019m fine now.\u201d<\/p>\n She wasn\u2019t fine.She needed a minute to collect herself, so she moved about the room, wondering if she should run out or even disengage from her synthetic host. All she had to do was press a button on the humanoid\u2019s forearm, which would activate physical stimulation on her real body and bring her back instantaneously; the soul had an easier time returning to its physical body than it did leaving it.<\/p>\n Be a professional<\/em>, she chastised herself. She breathed deeply, pretending to look over various objects. She reached into her pocket for her meds and stopped herself, remembering she was in a synth body.<\/p>\n When her panicattack subsided, she focused on what was in front of her.<\/p>\n On a desk was a staff, a warrior\u2019s helm, and a small handmade chariot. On the wall hung a pitchfork, as well as paintings of three dogs. All on its own on another wall, was a portrait of a beautiful woman with long brown hair and purple eyes, with green just around the pupils. Directly across from this painting, on the opposite wall, was a startling image of a woman with snakes for hair.<\/p>\n What did the star Algol have to do with the rest of the room?<\/em>She wondered, turning away from the image that was nothing short of disturbing.<\/p>\n \u201cThis place is rife with mythology,\u201d she said, glancing at her partner. \u201cAnd you\u2019re bothered by my<\/em> background?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d Aiden asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe victim,\u201d Eloise began, \u201cturned this room into one of devotion. He worshipped the god of the underworld. The objects on the table represent the things he used, and the objects on the wall represent the things he adored. The mat on the floor was where he meditated. He was so obsessed with the god of the underworld that he even came here, to the god\u2019s planet, Pluto.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahmed finished tapping on his holotab before he asked, \u201cDoes this room reveal why he did this to the victim?\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise kneeled and looked at the wounds; she exhaled a shaky breath. The victim was wearing a black onyx necklace.<\/p>\n It suddenly became clear.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wasn\u2019t meditating to<\/em> the planet,\u201d Eloise breathed. \u201cHe was siphoning from<\/em> it, absorbing it, and someone interrupted him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean by absorbing the planet?\u201d Aiden asked.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything in our universe comprises matter and energy. Each planet has its own unique signature. This man was inhaling the essence of this planet and feeding it into his own energy.\u201d She pointed to his abdomen. \u201cSee the wound on the lower belly? That\u2019s the sacral chakra, an area of energy ruled by two planets, one of them being Pluto.\u201d<\/p>\n The men looked at each other in silence.<\/p>\n Ahmed\u2019s holotab lit up, and he skimmed over the message. \u201cThe UNIC\u2019s investigations department wants to have you instated as a full-time associate, meaning as an assisting civilian.\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise\u2019s mouth dropped open. \u201cFull time? Is this not an isolated incident?\u201d<\/p>\n Ahmed moved closer to Eloise, holding the small, flat electronic device level. A hologram of an aging woman in a gray suit with a slicked-back ponytail emerged from the holotab.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ms. Mayer, we don\u2019t believe it is,\u201d Chancellor Winnifred North of the Intergalactic Colonies Committee said. \u201cYour partner\u2019s murder proves this is only the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n Eloise looked at Aiden. \u201cWhat? But \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Aiden\u2019s automaton stood with his head lowered, as if he had fallen asleep standing.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody just killed him?Now?<\/em>\u201d Eloise\u2019s voice rose. They weren\u2019t particularly getting along, but she didn\u2019t wish him dead, either.<\/p>\n Was she next?<\/p>\n Ahmed put the holotab on the table and reached for his gun. He then stepped in front of Eloise, pointing the gun at the door.<\/p>\n Eloise sensed a presence nearby, but there was no one else in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ms. Mayer, that wasn\u2019t him,\u201d the chancellor said from the holotab. \u201cSomeone killed your partner five hours ago. The person using Aiden\u2019s synth may have been the killer himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Can you, for those who don\u2019t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?<\/p>\n Writing has been a part of me all of my life, ever since I could pick up a pen. The first memory that stands out to me is when I was in grade four and we had a writing contest, and the teacher chose mine as a winner and read it out to the class. While I a bit shy, I was also ecstatic and came alive with everyone\u2019s reaction to it. Currently, I publish my books on Amazon only as my job takes up most of my time. As much as I love my job, if I can write full time, I would quit and do that.<\/strong><\/p>\n What is something unique\/quirky about you?<\/p>\n I am just naturally quirky. Unique? My writing! Also, I am a certified astrologer with CAAE (Canadian Association of Astrological Education).<\/strong><\/p>\n Tell us something really interesting that\u2019s happened to you!<\/p>\n Oh my, I should write a book about that one day! There have been lots\u2026 but I will choose the one that relates to my writing. I was in a bad place more than a decade ago, very lost, got to the point of self-destruction. There was a stranger who bumped into me one day, and told me things about life, things that clicked with me because these were things I was always interested in but never pursued. Something happened that day, it sparked my mind and my soul. This book I wrote is actually the product of that day, the culmination of my life turning around, finding my true love, and getting back into writing. This book represents what the stranger told me.<\/strong><\/p>\n What are some of your pet peeves?<\/p>\n \u00a0Unkind or very loud people.<\/strong><\/p>\n Where were you born\/grew up at?<\/p>\n I grew up in a big city next to Toronto called Scarborough. Since then, I\u2019ve moved around a lot all over Ontario, Canada. I think in my last life I was a gypsy. Lol.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you knew you\u2019d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?<\/p>\n Oh boy\u2026I would travel to my favorite destination (can\u2019t decide between Greece or one of the Disney resorts) with my closest family and friends and can\u2019t forget my pets!<\/strong><\/p>\n What kind of world ruler would you be?<\/p>\n Oh, I\u2019m not sure how I would be. I\u2019m too nice, but when it comes to abusers to both children and animals, I have zero tolerance and would exact brutal punishment.<\/strong><\/p>\n What do you do to unwind and relax?<\/p>\n I am an avid gamer. My husband is, too. We\u2019ll be gaming until our old age in rocking chairs! I also enjoy watching a really good series like Paradise, Fringe, and Dexter.<\/strong><\/p>\n Describe yourself in 5 words or less!<\/p>\n \u00a0Sweet but weird!<\/strong><\/p>\n Do you have a favorite movie?<\/p>\n Sorry, can\u2019t pick just one. Here\u2019s three that pop up at the top of my head: Star Wars, Moulin Rouge, and Pitch Black.<\/strong><\/p>\n Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?<\/p>\n Mourning Grey! That would be one epic vampire movie!<\/strong><\/p>\n As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot\/avatar\/spirit animal?<\/p>\n A wolf wearing a neon purple bandana.<\/strong><\/p>\n Marie Montine\u2019s Many readers and Red River won an She recently The author is also Marie lives and Website<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Facebook<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Instagram<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Bookbub<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Amazon<\/b><\/a> * <\/b>Goodreads<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n
mystery, and intrigue makes Persephone\u2019s Pool a delightful treat that sci-fi
and crime lovers will relish.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<\/i>Pikasho Deka for Readers\u2019
Favorite<\/b><\/p>\n
investigators to different crime scenes on multiple planets on a dangerous,
mythological game of cat and mouse!<\/p>\n
take a vacation.
Despite all of the technological advancements, a new craving emerges:
spirituality.
With the Age of Aquarius on the threshold, intergalactic murders involving
mythology begin.
And it\u2019s up to two investigators to find out why.
But the further they get into their investigation, the more dangerous the game
becomes.<\/p>\n
Montine repeatedly pulls the rug out from under your feet with a plot featuring
multiple twists and turns you never see coming. The reveals are unexpected and
shocking. What impressed me is how Montine provides each character with enough
urgency and distinct personality traits so that the reader is completely
invested in their story arcs. The setting feels believably futuristic, which
makes the story very immersive. You don\u2019t know if your favorite characters will
make it out alive, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sci-fi and
mystery readers shouldn\u2019t miss this one!\u2019 \u2013 Readers Favorite<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\nNyx\u2019s Tricks<\/em><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
work includes paranormal horror, supernatural sci-fi, and dark fantasy. But
there\u2019s always one major theme in her stories: the power of love.<\/p>\n
reviewers have claimed Marie Montine is an author to watch for.<\/p>\n
award for best romantic suspense with ChickLit Cafe.<\/p>\n
finished writing Persephone\u2019s Pool, an intergalactic crime thriller released on
April 8, 2025.<\/p>\n
a level one student with CAAE and you can find her love of astrology woven into
stories like Midnight on Mars and Persephone\u2019s Pool.<\/p>\n
works in northern Canada with her husband and poet, Alvin J Beck, and their
dogs, Luna and Mya. When she is not working or writing, she enjoys gaming and
getting cozied up with her husband and dogs watching movies or tv series.<\/p>\n