Spotlight & $50 GC Giveaway: Maz, Origin by T.L. Ford

November 15, 2022 - book spotlight

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Description of Maz, Origin

Entering the witness relocation program after lawfully escaping a massive walled-in prison, teenage Merrill tries to fit into our society. Her background and decisions may not let her.

Maz, Origin is a story of growth and love, guilt and innocence, and changing goals. What is morally right and what is legally right? What’s legal for humans may not be for aliens…

Read an Excerpt of Maz, Origin

Maz Origin cover “Play it again,” I said and James did. I listened. “They have vocal cords similar to ours, but I’ll bet we’re missing some of the pitches. We’ll probably sound flat when we speak their language. Have they sent anything in any of our languages?”

“No.”

“Any video?” Ron asked.

“No.”

“Maybe they’re waiting to see if there’s intelligent life on our planet?” I said.

“Not likely,” said James, putting his laptop away. “The transmission came in on our own satellite frequency bands. It was precise. They can pick up our own signals.”

“Then they know more about us than we do about them,” Ron observed.

James nodded. “If they’re hostile, it makes no sense to announce their knowledge.”

“Unless they’re trying to get inside our defenses,” Ron replied.

“You’re supposed to make me less paranoid, not more,” James said sourly.

Interview with Author T. L. Ford

What is something you’ve lied about?

I’m a super-honest person who has never lied once (except maybe now) – not even when I tell children that clouds are made of cotton candy. When I tell them these things, they are old enough and wise enough to know that it’s a fib and we can giggle and we can jump off into imagining all sorts of things.

Who is the last person you hugged?

My husband, and him as often as I can.

What are you reading now?

Just now, I’m between books and listening to A Man Rides Through by Stephen R. Donaldson when I exercise. Generally, though, I’m trying to read more by indie authors. Forward and Back by Michael Pickard was an excellent recent read.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

My books typically run under a working title and somewhere along the way, a title seems to materialize. Maz, Origin had a working title of Jonde, which is terrible. I thought about the story, and I wanted something different. [This] of [That], The [Something], [Someone] of [Somewhere], or [Adjective] [Subject]. These work, but felt kind of MEH for this book. It wanted a weirdly formed title to say what the story is about, yet would sound more sci-fi and alien. Things that didn’t work: Origin of Maz, Maz’ Origin, Maz, Pyre’s Adventure.

Share your dream cast for your book.

I would like a movie cast of all new, fresh out of acting school people, or people who have never been in a movie before, with a really good director who knows how to pull out their best performance, with a massive advertising budget by a big company who knows how to get the word out. I would choose this because as much as I dream of my stories on a big movie screen in a theater, they dream of being in one, and we can all get our dreams.

About Author T. L. Ford

author T L Ford T. L. Ford is a programmer, writer, and artist. She spent most of her professional career supporting the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland. Her science fiction novels imagine possibilities while focusing on society and personal relationships and decisions. Her fantasy novels are heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons and are light “weekend reads”. She’s also created two art books, a thriller novella, and an interactive math iBook. She enjoys sailing, hiking, and spending time with her family.