The End of Covid? // New Horizons // Free Books
Jun 17, 2021 9:01 pm
Hello from London,
I am now fully vaccinated. Which admittedly doesn't make me very special, since everyone I speak to is either there, or about to be.
I received an email from the National Health Service a few days ago asking me to schedule my second vaccination a little earlier than originally planned. They said this was due to the "delta" variant increasing transmission, and the fact that the second dose of vaccine appears to dramatically reduce the risk of infection with this new strain.
So here I am a few days later, with both my vaccinations done and the app on my phone now willing to print out a PDF with my completed vaccination status in case I need to prove it to anyone. The second injection had none of the extremely unpleasant side-effects of the first (which put me in bed for a day).
Does this mean the end is in sight? Perhaps not. Apparently, the unvaccinated young are experiencing a rapid growth in infection rates. While I've heard this dismissed as a nothing-burger piece of news, I think governments are right to be wary, even if it's continuing to ruin my life.
Each new variant is slightly better at dodging the immunity provided by the vaccines, and while these are still very effective, there's now a 17% (according to some outlets) risk of catching the virus when exposed, even if you've had both shots of vaccine (I'm sure if varies depending on the vaccine). If we allow the new variant to run rampant through a large swathe of the population - even if they have a very low chance of serious consequences - it gives the virus that many more opportunities to try new mutations and to see what sticks. We may end up accelerating the emergence of a variant that can effectively dodge the current vaccines. That would be a disaster, it would mean going back to square one, and isolating all vulnerable people all over again until they can be given a new vaccine.
That said, the UK government's approach to travel permissions seems to be driven by where the next football match is going to occur, so there's definitely still room for improvement in the way things are managed!
New Horizons
I alluded to some major changes in my life a couple of emails ago. I'm in the process of moving my entire family from one country to another. This is slightly tricky during a period of pandemic, but the organization appears to be going more or less to plan.
That said, it has had the effect of getting in the way of my weekly word count, which was effectively zero two weeks ago and only marginally better this week. This is a source of immense frustration to me.
I heave reasons to believe that this is set to improve over the coming weeks, but I've said that before only to have some unexpected emergency make confetti out of my carefully-curated writing schedule.
I'll take this opportunity to thank those of you who clicked through and purchased Emily Voss episodes 1-3 on Amazon after I reduced the price to $0.99. I'm currently drinking the coffee this afforded me. The price reduction is permanent, so you can still click through and buy it if my coffee consumption is something you support.
Author Spotlight
Five authors to highlight in this newsletter. Two of the books below are review copies and three are for sale on Amazon and other platforms. Please remember that when an author gives away a review copy, it's good form to take the time to help them grow some visibility by leaving them a review after you've read their book.
Smoke and Mirrors by Krysten Harlow
No one could dispute her intellect, power, or snark. Endowed with the ability to envisage future events, she’s mighty indeed... for a human.
Equipped with icy brilliance and esoteric knowledge, this untraceable youth lends his mind to darkness itself, releasing prehistoric demons to do his bidding.
If anyone is up to the task, it’s her, but stopping unknown entities isn’t easy. Pitting herself against him in a delightfully deft and diabolic clash of wits, she finds herself trapped in a deadly showdown.
One she has little hope of winning. One that may swallow the globe.
The Chronicles of Agartha - The Green Boy by Sherif Guirguis
The fate of two worlds rests on the shoulders of a few unsuspecting souls.
Inner Earth, Agartha, a land where the color of your Aura defines you, losing the entire population of green aura people to the war left a visible void.
Ethan, a fourteen-year-old young man, discovers he has a green aura, the last of an extinct race. He leaves the school of Nafoura in search of the truth about the fate of the greens, and to find a home to call his own.
Joined by a girl from our earth, and an exiled shapeshifter, Ethan must race to the Chronicler of Agartha in search of answers.
But Ethan has a mark on his head by the very woman who decimated his people, doggedly chasing after him for nefarious reasons of her own.
Ethan must walk a thin line to get his answers, inadvertently stepping into the web of a prophecy he knows nothing about, one which may lead to salvation, or to a promise of doom for his and our world.
The Broken Seal by Luna Fox and F. Lowberry
You find a mysterious artifact. Do you keep it?
Joanna Stone enjoys a rather quiet life with her uncle Cromwell in the rural town of Winnow, Massachusetts. But on her eighteenth birthday, during a school trip to Winnow Hill, she finds an ancient box with a strange amulet in it. Little does she know how that discovery would change her life forever and would set her on an adventure she was not prepared for.
This is the first book in a series called The Stone Legacy.
The Lion and the Red Glove by S.H. Steele
A voice from the shadows warns against it, and River's interest is piqued. The voice? Jane Thomas. She has finally broken her silence and she needs River's help finding and rescuing her sister.
Will River and Jane be able to work together or will her arrogance get them into trouble?
War Origin by C.G.Harris
When Gabe’s partner, Alex, takes a turn towards the good guys, it doesn’t mean life in The Nine gets better for him. His soul is leaking like the head gasket on an old Ford and he learns there are even worse ways to spend his time than being sent to the Gnashing Fields to swim laps in the Sulfur Pools. Every Demon in the underworld is out to slurp up his oozing essence and if he can’t seal the seepage his struggles as a double agent in the Judas agency will be the least of his worries.
Things have not slowed down topside either. Street gangs have organized in the U.S. and are on the warpath against the political machine. They tear at the very fabric of American society, forcing neighbors and families to choose sides against one another. Gabe must stop the senseless slaughter, or the United States might find it is no longer united.
I'll leave it there this week, and return to contemplating the grey skies over London. If you find either Spring or Summer lurking somewhere, please send them back.
All the best,
Nick.
FOLLOW ME ON
My Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Patreon
