Badass Women: International Tales of Suspense with Author Lya Badgley
My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Lya Badgley, author of the book The Worth of a Ruby. Lya was born in Yangon, Myanmar. The child of Montana parents – a political scientist and an artist – she grew up in a household that encouraged critical thinking and creativity.
Lya is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and Hugo House. Her first self-published novel, The Foreigner’s Confession, was released to good reviews in February of 2022. Her second novel, The Worth of a Ruby, launched November 2023. Badgley lives in Snohomish, Washington, and is working on her third novel set in Bosnia.
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Youtopia by Joseph Rein is a techno-thriller that still has me thinking. Anabel Downer is an FBI agent assigned to find a murderer. However, this isn't an ordinary murder but one that happened in cyberspace.
Youtopia is a place where one can live in a perfect world of their own choosing - every single day - in a virtual reality environment. People tired of life with all of its up and downs and disappointments can choose to immerse themselves into Youtopia, living out the rest of their days without pain, discomfort, or disease. As you can imagine, some people love the idea and others abhor it. But who hates it enough to murder? This book is fast-paced and has plenty of twists and turns, especially as we see Anabel's past and her connection to Youtopia. Mostly, it will make you think. What would you give up to have a perfect life? And is perfect really what you want after all? Purchase the paperback. Purchase the ebook. *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. On the first weekend of each month, the Australian Writer's Centre puts out a Furious Fiction contest. Writers take the prompts given and write a flash fiction piece of no more than 500 words during the 55-hour contest.
In June 2024, writers had to include:
The piece I created, Versatility, was longlisted. Enjoy! Versatility Merv sat on the edge of the bed holding a jar in one hand and a needle in the other. He nudged June with his elbow. “Wake up, baby,” he pleaded in an urgent whisper. Merv squirmed in the ill-fitting uniform. The legs were a bit too short, as were the arms. However, it was the best he could do on short notice. He nudged her again. “June. Wake up. We don’t have much time.” June’s eyes fluttered open. “Merv? Is that you?” “Yeah, baby. It’s me.” “Why are you wearing a mask?” “It’s part of the uniform, baby.” He pulled down the mask, letting it rest under his chin. “See? It’s me. I did what you asked. I got everything.” “Everything? Are you sure?” Merv’s hands began to shake. “I’m not a dimwit. I only needed two items and a way to camouflage my actions. Even I can’t muck that up.” She raised her eyebrows. Merv always managed to muck things up. As if to prove her wrong, he held up his right hand. “Phenobarbital.” Then he held up his left hand. “Syringe.” Finally, he looked down at his attire. “Standard hospital garb.” With a satisfied nod, he said, “Are you sure?” “Yes. It’s time. It’s way past time.” June emphatically nodded her approval. Merv removed the cap and plunged the needle into the clear liquid, tears leaking from his eyes. She told him she was tired of living this way. How could he deny her an easy escape? Suddenly, the room filled with shouting people. Aides. Nurses. Doctors. Above the commotion, he heard her say, “I woke up to find him sitting on my bed, filling that syringe. I think he was planning to kill me!” Merv stammered. “But…June…” Before he could say another word, security pushed him to the floor. Someone wrapped duct tape around his wrists and pulled him by his legs into the hall. Before he left in the squad car, he’d been labeled a murderer. As for June, once alone, she smiled. For the first time in their entire thirty-year marriage, Merv had done exactly what she needed him to do. No handholding. No procrastinating. No errors. And because of his spectacular success, she’d finally be free to live the life she’d always wanted - right after she healed from her plastic surgery. Who knew euthanasia could be so versatile? |
AuthorTeri M Brown, author of An Enemy Like Me and Sunflowers Beneath the Snow connects readers with characters they'd love to invite to lunch. Follow the Blog Using the RSS Feed link below:
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