Entheóphage
by Drema Deòraich
Genre: Medical Mystery/Ecofiction
BLURB:
Dr. Isobel Fallon thinks she's found a treatment that will help her son and others suffering from Milani Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. What she doesn't realize is that harvesting the source of this treatment in the only accessible place on earth it grows, a coral reef in the Nlaan Islands, is going to have consequences far beyond the disruption of the fragile ecosystem on one small reef.
CDC researcher Nadine Parker and her team are baffled. Lukas Behn’s daughter Kyndra has contracted a bizarre new virus that leaves her screaming in pain. But they can't identify any physical, biological source for that pain, not in Kyndra, nor in the dozens, then hundreds, and finally millions of children worldwide succumbing to the same virus. And no one seems to have made a connection between what's happening with the infected children and the events on a small coral reef in the South Pacific.
Eventually, Nadine has to face the unlikely truth, and the enormous implications of it. The children aren't sick. They're changing. But will anyone else believe her?
Read an Excerpt:
T’nei translated for Isobel. “Why are you here?”
Isobel fought the urge to look at Travis. “To harvest a special coral from the reef.”
“No,” T’nei snapped. “Anyone could do that. Your men could do that. Why are you here?”
Isobel’s mind raced. What was Mtuji after? “I’m the lead scientist. I know which coral to harvest, and how it’s processed. Only I can do that.”
“Only you? Among all your people?”
Isobel pursed her lips. “No. But I’m the one who began this research in search of medicine for a very rare disease. I found what we needed in a special coral. I learned that coral grows here.” She paused. “I started this project. I came here to finish it.”
T’nei translated her words for Mtuji.
The other women murmured among themselves, staring at Isobel as if they could see through her, see the truth of the matter. The elders among them wavered. Some argued. The younger ones held their ground.
Isobel’s stomach knotted.
At length, the crone spoke aside to T’nei, who turned to Isobel.
“And if we say no, go home?”
Isobel’s jaw tightened. “Then we’ll go home, and I’ll start again. Find another way. But it took me years to find this coral. Thousands of children are born with this illness. None survive it.”
Mtuji absorbed her words in silence.
“What would you do,” Isobel went on, “if your children were born this way and I could save them? If you had to watch your children die because another nation’s leader denied me access to their reef?”
T’nei hesitated, then translated Isobel’s words.
Meet the Author:
.jpg)
Drema Deòraich is a writer of speculative fiction that asks big questions. Her short stories have been published in numerous online journals, as well as a few semi-professional zines. Her debut novel “Entheóphage,” a medical mystery/climate fiction novel released in October of 2022, has been nominated for the 2023 Ursula Le Guin prize. Drema is still hard at work on her science fantasy trilogy, “The Founder’s Seed,” with plans to release book one in late 2023.
When she isn't writing, Drema helps her legal-eagle boss to save the world one case at a time, pets her husband's cats, watches the starlings mob her birdfeeders, or spends time in Nature, surrounded by flora and fauna.
Visit Drema’s websites at:
Follow Drema on:
Twitter: @dremadeoraich
IG: dremadeoraich
FB: NiveymArtsLLC
Enter the Giveaway:
Drema Deòraich will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteThank you for hosting Entheóphage! I’m lurking, and ready to answer questions and comments from your visitors!
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely my pleasure have you and your book here!
DeleteJust FYI -- I’ll be at work today and will have intermittent opportunities to check in. But I'll be back on tonight and ready to answer questions and comments!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fascinating title and plot- what inspires your book titles and plots?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question! For the plots, often it's something that catches my attention in Life -- not politics or the like, but environmental, spiritual (not religious), emotional stuff that provokes big questions in me. This one came from seeing the environmental issues we are facing, and wondering what it would take to make us take necessary actions toward change. The title is a word contrived from Greek to fit something that happens in the story. The science fantasy trilogy I'm working on (stay tuned) is titled "The Founder's Seed," with books 1, 2, and 3 tentatively titled "Fallen," "Broken," and "Driven," respectively. Those titles, too, come from the storyline itself. Probably most of my short stories would be the same or similar; you can read a few of those on my dremadeoraich website.
DeleteThank you for visiting! Your question is fantastic and I enjoyed Drema's response.
DeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteGlad the book interests you!
DeleteIt sounds like an interesting book
ReplyDeleteSounds like a terrific book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marisela and Sherry! Maybe you'll decide to check it out! :-D
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marcy!
DeleteGood evening, I was glad to hear that you enjoyed every aspect of writing this story and that you had fun doing the research for the book. Was it the medical aspects of the story or the climate/meteorological aspects that you spent the most research time on? As a former Meteorology major, I am curious to know
ReplyDeleteProbably the medical research took more time and effort before and during the writing process, since the details I needed to complete the storyline had to come from several different medical specialists. I consulted neuroscientists, virologists, a CDC specialist, a hospital administrator, and a variety of other professionals to ensure I got the details as accurate as possible. I also did research on the environmental and ecological issues, to find out what kinds of specific problems were most prevalent in different parts of the world. While all of it--medical and environmental research--was fascinating and educational, I will say that what I learned doing the environmental research has changed the way I see the world, and the way I move through it. Since that time, our household has made a number of small changes to our daily practices and we are still adding to those over time. We want to be as close to sustainable as we can be, but of course it's a work in progress. So perhaps in that respect, since that research has been ongoing (both for us personally and for my newsletter, which focuses on green living), maybe the environmental research has taken more time than the medical after all. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your response! I think that your attention to detail and your extensive research on all aspects of the story-line will make for an excellent read. I am going to grab a copy ASAP and bump it to the top of my TBR
DeleteWonderful! Thanks for the encouragement and support! It means so much to an indie author! <3
DeleteI'm very interested in hearing about the small changes you've made to your daily practices.
DeleteI'm glad to share! :-D We have reduced our trash and recyclable waste (especially plastic) by a large amount by choosing products that are more sustainably packaged. We try not to waste water; in fact, we installed a garden of native plants that are well-suited to the heat/water/weather conditions in our region, and thus require less watering and less care. Not only that, they provide native sources of food for beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and the like. We've set up a few habitat areas for the critters -- a birdhouse and feeders, some woodpiles that go untended, a pile of rocks/bricks/stones for the little brown snakes that need protective shelter, and so on. We've let the little low-growing wildflowers take over our back yard so that we rarely need to mow there. And when we do mow, we have an electric mower and trimmer. No gas. (I *wish* we could drive electric cars, too, but that's a ways in the future.) We favor products that are green, and especially reef-friendly (like with sunscreen). We have gathered the wooden pallets to start a compost in our yard, but haven't had the time yet to actually set it up. We are buying organic fruits and veggies wherever we can. And so on. None of these are big things, but added up they make a difference. We now see more wildlife (mostly birds, butterflies and a few beneficial snakes) in our yard than ever before. Plans for the future include installing rain barrels at the corners of our house, installing a rain garden (or two) to help channel the runoff back down into the aquifer, and more. We have plans ... MANY plans. :-)
DeleteI try to put out a newsletter every month with environmental issues, green/sustainable practices, and little things we can do to make a difference. You'll find that at https://niveymarts.com -- and new subscribers get a free flash fiction story! :-D
DeleteThose are all wonderful ways to become more eco-friendly. These are all small changes anyone can make and will provide large benefits. Thank you so much for sharing!
DeleteI just signed up for your newsletter. Can't wait to get tips and tricks in my inbox.
DeleteThanks!
DeleteThank you for hosting me, Sapphyria!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to those who stopped by to say hello. I’m signing off for the night, but I hope you’ll give Entheóphage a try--check out some of the reviews on GoodReads or Amazon. Like what you see? You can order a copy through your favorite bookstore. And don’t forget– if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can read it for FREE! 😀
Peace, y’all,
Drema Deòraich
A special thank you to everyone who has stopped by and left comments or asked questions. I truly love seeing you all here, and reading questions and Drema's answers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the love! :-)
DeleteI would love to read your book and I just loved your excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bridgett! You can read Entheóphage FREE on Kindle Unlimited! If you aren't a member of KU, you can purchase a copy through Amazon or you can order a copy through Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or your favorite local bookstore!
Deletelooks like a fun one
ReplyDeleteThanks, Daniel! I hope you get the chance to read it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read!! Already added to my TBR List!!
ReplyDeleteGreat! I hope you enjoy!
Delete