Author Gareth Miles Goes on a Metaphysical Adventure in his New Book: Soul Shakedown

British-Guyanese author Gareth R. Miles read from his debut novel, Soul Shakedown: A Metaphysical Adventure, and talks about the experiences and inspiration that led to the metaphysical adventure that readers take with the lead character, Compton. If you don't have a summer reading list or you just want something fun to read, this is the book that you should have on your list. Soul Shakedown is different.  It's fast-paced, it's exciting, it's funny and simultaneously a little unsettling, but you won't want to put it down. You'll also learn a new language, sort of, in Guyanese Creole -- the dialect used by grassroots Guyanese on the streets. Take a listen. 


Book Cover text
SOUL FOOD - IT'S NOT JUST A SOUTHERN CUISINE... Everything seems to be looking up for young Guyanese father Compton Sharpe. He's got a beautiful baby daughter, a devoted fiancee, a dirt-cheap place to stay at his Dad's house in New Jersey, and to top it all off he's just landed an incredibly well-paid yet ridiculously easy job as a janitor in a local lab. Sure, there does seem to be something a bit... peculiar about the scientists in the lab, but with a meal ticket like this, Compton's more than happy to put up with their little eccentricities - until, that is, he stumbles upon the true nature of the scientists' experiments, and is forced to embark on a desperate quest to save his daughter from a fate too sinister to contemplate - with a little help from a colourful cast of family and friends... and from the Natural Mystic.Blending elements of SF/fantasy, Caribbean folklore and metaphysical speculation, "Soul Shakedown" is a roller-coaster ride into the spiritual realm for thrill-seekers, deep thinkers and soul adventurers everywhere.

Transcript

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Episode 6 Gareth R Miles 

[00:00:00] Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:00:00] Welcome to "What's going on, eyes on Africa and the Caribbean", the podcast that brings you news and information about the people and events in Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora. I'm your host Moronke Oshin-Martin. In this episode, we're talking to Guyanese-British author. Gareth R. Miles from Swansea, UK. We're talking about his new book, Soul Shakedown. And what's this book about? Let's listen.

[00:01:00] [00:01:00] Gareth R. Miles: [00:01:00] Soul shakedown by Gareth R MiIes. Chapter one, extra-biological intelligence. Oh, by the way, in the printed book and ebook. Yeah. There's a glossary. For any words, you may not immediately get, just so you know. Chapter one, extra-biological intelligence.

[00:01:20] When I was a youth back home in Guyana, I used to love going to the Creek. Those are the good things they used to go directly from school every day and stay to the pops, come and start bettering at me like an Oxbow to at Stanford, do me homework and milk the goats and things. The white sign used to be the Sahara desert and the lizards, and the ants were the big and the small dinosaurs. Sometimes all them tall, fine, smooth bark trees used to resemble African warriors too. Tall, tall Maasai warriors all painted up in white and brown and green for battle. Yeah, those are nice times, man. No, like know where that is shooting up and chopping open thing.

[00:01:55] What I used to love best about that Creek was David in it from off of them bridge the way, hold that deep, [00:02:00] deep red, the flips from the surface. He said it doesn't give way to sheer blackness, right beneath that blackness. She's afraid to me, bud, but I just keep on diving deeper and deeper. Like Materra gave me gifts.

[00:02:10] I dive and dive until I couldn't dive, no more. And then go barrel into, to the surface like a cannonball and splash around gasping and gulping like bombed and Mary pond fish at night. This is how it feels. When I plug myself into this sort of school, I didn't know what they're asked to expect when they first pick up them, electro things, stick them pun me temples. I just, this staring up at one Horistic squirming, massive gutsy and treaty looking things that they're wrapped around. One cast. I am looking group that they're hanging suspended from the ceiling with the electro things, dangling from it like that like daddle long legs legs is sheer terror. This thing inspiring in me gut but they got the old Ray's determination. Deep don't even say that that's stronger than the fear. I pressed them electrodes hard on me temples. Tied up on my templates and it's sticking. And then it's like, Hey David and the Creek again, instead of, instead of the sharp cold jolt I used to [00:03:00] get from the Creek water it a tingling heat I feel trough me. But other than that, it's just like Diving, in the same sense of press upon my eardrums. I mean, I said gone old bumps, just like that. When they touched my head at the time, I feel it normally when they grasp it. And I mean the eggs, me, Betty, and eggs and sausage. This is when they really started panicking.

[00:03:19] You kind of stick with my whole body and expect enough of panic. I feel like I'm going to be trapped in this pitch. Nothing is forever. Next thing is a heavy, heavy pressure. Eight feet an are on me. Like one community constricting me to the red Swan pup, and then ups, I torpedo into arts, something I didn't even know as what.

[00:03:38] Something like a massive cluster of diamonds and style type looking crystals. It's just a blessing. I was late, all the colors, like a prism and Tencent crackly, like is rainbow and lightening's love child. I know, hit this light and it wrapped around me and started throwing me around that hurricane winds.

[00:03:54] Next thing I know, I crashed into this crystal, the, whatever it be, but I ain't feeling no impact. I just kind of met straight [00:04:00] through it and then inside it and then, but we had, no, I should fill you in on some things before I get into that. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:04:07] So that was a tiny excerpt from Gareth Miles, new book, Soul shakedown, a metaphysical adventure. And we're fortunate to have Gareth here with us today to talk about his book. Thanks for joining us, Gareth. 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:04:21] Thank you very much. Thanks so much for having me on your show. Thanks for the opportunity. Is it a pleasure to be here? 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:04:27] I love this book. I can't, I can't say it enough. I enjoyed it. I laugh. I laugh out loud, practically through every page. So this is, this is a, this is a fabulous piece of work and I want everybody to go out and get this book. And I'm sure after you've heard after they've heard you today, Gareth, they will do that. So tell us a little bit, what's this book about and who, or what was the inspiration for the story? 

[00:04:55] Gareth R. Miles: [00:04:55] Well, first of all, thank you so much, very honored for that long they little review there, Moronke. [00:05:00] so, my, my name is Gareth R miles and my first novel, a soul shakedown, subtitled, a metaphysical adventure is available on Amazon is, It's it loosely falls under the science fiction slash fantasy label. also incorporating lots of elements of, the Caribbean in particular Guyanese folklore and oral storytelling style.

[00:05:24] So it's a first-person narration of a character I made up. He's not me. He's a Guyanese, named Compton. And, he's telling you the story of his, adventures. and it's how would I describe what it's about? before I get into like the plotline without giving too much away..

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:05:44] Don't give it away. Don't give it away. You want them to get the book 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:05:48] Attempting to do, exceeds on these two different levels, first, I hope first and foremost, I hope it's an exciting adventure. Science fiction, fantasy adventure.  It has all the elements [00:06:00] that make people want to turn the page and tune in to the next episode.

[00:06:03] You know, that it's got, you know, human drama, action, adventure, excitement, romance, heartbreak, all that stuff, people like, and, and hope it succeeds purely on that level as entertainment and can be read through on that level. Should people still choose, but I hope it also, if you want to maybe read some seriously deeper things into it, that also it can be read on a level of being an exploration of some deeper, obviously for the philosophical, a metaphysical as the subtitle suggest and, political topics, namely, the nature of the soul. I mean, that's assuming there is such a thing as a soul. Well, what is it anyway? How does this soul work? Is there human organisms that have biology ecology. He thinks that is there any equivalent souls, so it explores those kinds of topics, metaphysically and politically speaking, you could read perhaps metaphorically into it, some commentary on the [00:07:00] uses and abuses of political power. If you want to read it on that level, I hope it succeeds, I would hope on all those levels. as far as, plot-wise, without giving too much away, I'll just read the back of the book. You've heard the excerpts at the beginning and here's the back. Headliners of the blurb is soul food. It's not just a Southern cuisine. Everything seems to be looking up for young Guyanese father Compton Sharp. He's got a beautiful baby daughter, a devoted fiancé, a dirt cheap place to stay at his dad's house in New Jersey. And to top it all off, he's just landed an incredibly well-paid ridiculously easy job as a janitor and a local lab. Sure. There does seem to be something a bit peculiar about the scientists in this lab, but with a meal ticket, like this Compton is more than happy to put up with little eccentricities until that is he stumbles upon the true nature of the scientists' experiments and is forced to embark on a desperate quest to save his daughter from a fate too sinister, to [00:08:00] contemplate. With a little help from a colorful cast of family and friends and from a natural mystic.  Blending elements of science fiction, fantasy Caribbean folklore, and metaphysical speculation, Soul shakedown is a roller coaster ride into the spiritual realm, for thrill-seekers, deep thinkers, soul adventures, everywhere.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:08:22] All right. That is good. That's a real, a real teaser there for, for our listeners. So the book is written in Guyanese  creolese. Is, is that your audience?  Are Guyanese people, your audience, or what? 

Gareth R Miles: [00:08:36] yes and no. Yes, because, I definitely want it to represent the Guyanese oral tradition in written form. And I definitely wanted to hopefully inspire other Guyanese to read and to write, more in that voice. I feel we don't honor and respect our own language tradition and culture enough and are often trying to [00:09:00] emulate other people in the ways of speaking when we have our own just as valid. so it's an attempt to kind of project that Guyanese oral storytelling vibe into the world and connect with other Guyanese, but certainly also with anybody in general, I don't want my book to be. The audience to be, but to anybody who likes a good story, that's what really my audience wants to be, is what I hope I accomplish writing a number one, a good story, and I want my SB, anybody likes a good story? I don't think that writing it in dialect necessarily put off those who are not from that cultural background. What I feel is that. Often, we, from let's say quote-unquote minorities, it's a misnomer cause you know, people of color, are certainly not a minority in the world, but, as represented in the literary world, you know, it's very much still dominated by, you know, white, upper-class male kind of, [00:10:00] people that are kind of the main template or the literary world still.  The literary world still. So it's an attempt to kind of, you know, project our own culture into that world as well. I think it's gonna appeal to anybody. I think just as when I was growing up as a kid in Guyana reading science fiction, and I think this will apply to a lot of, people of color, who grew up reading science fiction and other literature in general, you find that you don't see people who look sound or talk or act like you represented a lot traditionally. And when you do, they're often presented as the alien other, people identify with are the people who don't look or sound like you. So, you almost have to kind of put yourself in the shoes of somebody else. So if I can do that and did that with all these stories between, you know, you know, white protagonists, white [00:11:00] Antagonist, from a different background culture, then myself, the same applies to those from that background. They too can put themselves into our shoes by reading things, something in our voice. So we shouldn't feel we have to, speak in, somebody else's voice for them to hear us. You can speak in our own voice and have ourselves and others hear us. So, that's one of the things I was trying to do with writing it in Creole.

[00:11:21] But, this one thing I want to say, I didn't set out to write to make that point, to write a book and creolese to establish creolese as part of the literary Canon, if my glass and people would, because of the character who came into my mind, who kind of. I created or who I followed as on his adventures, and as he became more or less a kind of a real person, that's how he speaks. That's how he talks. And he's, he's telling the story, not me. And so he speaks creolese. That's how he talks. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:11:50] That's kind of like interesting. I mean that, to hear that, that you didn't start out writing, writing in that, in that voice, but yet as the character developed..

Gareth R. Miles: [00:11:58] I didn't sit down and say, I'm [00:12:00] going to write a book in creolese I was just like, this character occurred to me and started talking to him. That's his voice. So I tried to kind of go with his voice because 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:12:10] that's interesting.  Very interesting. So now the story is set primarily in East Orange or at least it starts out that way. Why did you choose that as the setting?

[00:12:22]Gareth R. Miles: [00:12:22] Simply because I used to live in East Orange briefly and the story that the action in the story takes place in. Well, actually it takes place in a parallel universe, but that's not that important. It's quite similar to this one. So East Orange, New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York, and, Georgetown, Guyana figure permanently prominently in the book and I've lived or hung out in all those places. So that's quite simple. I've lived there. And, also I guess, I wanted to have a book where the characters are. Ordinary people who were kind of like superheroes still, but they're just [00:13:00] ordinary people. And they were quite ordinary people from kind of the quote-unquote bottom rungs of society who perhaps are not typically the people who'd cast as heroes in mainstream literature. In fact, maybe they'd be more, tend to be cast as villains there, perhaps, you know, I think criminals, in some sense, they're committing victimless crimes, but they're, you know, they're poor people, petty crimes of economics, the Bible. And they're not, you know, particularly like quote-unquote super upright, morally, people. They're, you know, they might occasionally cheat on their spouses and this and that. And they're, they're not perfect people in any way, but they're. They have a bit of a superhero in them, each one does and, I hope I brought that out and the reason I stayed in connection with them in East Orange and Brooklyn are these places that, you know, these places that are considered quote-unquote ghettos. 

[00:13:53] So, 

Moronke Oshin-Martin00:13:55]: I certainly could relate to, to all of those locations that you, that you [00:14:00] talked about and just going back a little bit to the, to the, clearly his format that you had. And I think you're perfectly right that I mean, I've read books written by Chinese authors who have gone back into their authentic voice and I don't. Speak Chinese, but I know that when you get into the book, you just go with the flow and it's the same thing because they're also into the oral tradition. It's the same with African books and also African American, writers who go back and they use the authentic voice of that, of that community. And it's almost refreshing and it certainly takes you into, into their world. And, and once you're in there, you start getting, very comfortable. And, and earlier you had mentioned that there was some commentary, I mean, but I, I think your demure on that part, because that's quite a bit of commentary, in there, you, you, you take on the economic and the social issues of society. And, and the way that you presented is very interesting because you, [00:15:00] there was, there is empathy and there's also humor. So you're in this, in this world of, of these, you know, the, the, the petty, criminal behavior. And yet at the same time, you're not distracted by it. You don't feel separated. from it, you almost feel some connection and they almost, you have, cause you have one character who's spent time in prison and you talked about him and, and you made him real and funny at the same time. And I thought that that was, I was gonna say pretty magical, but it's incredibly creative the way that you are able to, to weave that in there. So, you can talk about very serious issues. And yet at the same time, there is humor in it. So, it's not painful to the extent that it would ordinarily be. Although the pain is still there, but you're also able to understand it within the context of that person's life and also the society that we're, we're living [00:16:00] in. Were you consciously doing that? Bringing in that, that, because I know you're very political and you're very socially conscious and you're very active and vocal. Was this something that, that you felt that you had to do, or did it come naturally with the character and with the environment?

Gareth R. Miles:[00:16:19]I think a bit of both, but definitely I hope more of the latter. Cause the last thing I wanted my book to be was a kind of tease or a, what would you call it? A manifesto or something. That's kind of a dry thing with a moral or Aesop's not that Aesop's fables are dry, but I didn't want it to be something like that with just a didactic kind of moral, but it definitely has, you know, as you. could tell a political undertone you could say, or perhaps overtones depending on how much you pick up on them. And, I don't want to give too much away about the plot or the characters, but, perhaps it's not given too much away to say that, the, the villains are, could be seen as perhaps a metaphor [00:17:00] for the system that we live in. When I say, we, I mean, pretty much everybody in the world and pretty much every country in the world.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:17:07] Absolutely 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:17:08] Nowhere you can look at it as, not in some way divided between elites and the masses, oppressor and oppressed comes in different forms and different guises. And what exists in some form all over the world always has to exist. That's one of the questions perhaps I could. Asking that book and I hope maybe people would read it and find the answer for themselves if there is a message there. But, but definitely there's a lot of, political metaphors you can read in the book, which is one of the reasons it's set in a parallel universe. It was a way I could kinda satirize certain things without mentioning, you know, real people by real names. So that was a little kind of. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:17:50] Because that was good. That was also interesting too, is that you don't mention anyone's name and you don't give a description, but as you said, this is something that everybody can relate to all over the [00:18:00] world. So, you can actually put as a reader, a, a character to whatever it is that you're talking about. You can, put a name to, what, what you're saying. That fits the the environment in which you, you come from. Do you understand what I'm saying? So I think you're right. That the folks will read it and make sense of it. The way that their own environment is, is put together. Was, was that a fair characterization or, or am I? 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:18:32] yeah, I mean, I hope my book..

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:18:34] It's your book , so I don't, I don't want to ruin it

Gareth R. Miles: [00:18:37] every writer and also to every reader. So, I want people to take away what they want to take away from it. It might be something completely different from what I thought I was putting into it. But whatever people take away from it is fine by me. Going back to you asked me a question before I didn't quite finish answering, because you asked me what the book's about and what inspired it. I think I said a bit about what [00:19:00] it's about. But didn't really get into what inspired it. so maybe I'll address that briefly. And I'll say generally, and specifically.  Generally, as I've been mentioning Guyana and the experience of growing up in Guyana is definitely a highly inspirational. Guyana and Guyanese and the characters are. A lot of them are versions of real people I know, or where I just put on the paper, but a lot of them have elements of people I know to varying degrees and obviously, but I think author's characters inevitably have elements of themselves in them, but nobody's supposed to be me or anybody I know, but there are elements of myself and people that I know in all of them. So, I'm obviously this… People I grew up around, and the culture I grew up around, was the main inspiration because Guyana is such a fascinating and unique place that's in so unique in many ways. Apart from being the only English speaking country in South America, it's a place where many [00:20:00] worlds meet, I would say it's a place where I'm.

[00:20:03] The Amazonian South American native culture meets in the interior meets the more Caribbean Island-like culture of the coast. It's a place where due to the history of, you know, colonialism and imperialism and slavery and indentured servitude, literally people from all four corners of the earth are there.

[00:20:24] We have the native peoples, you've got African people, Asian people from the Indian subcontinent, and from China, Portuguese people, everyone from everywhere is there from all the religions. No hammock religion, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism. African retention religions that still exist and native religions exist, you know, we have all religions, all cultures kind in this little small, well, not small physically, but population-wise, there's only a million people [in Guyana]. It's just kind of a microcosm of the whole world. So, I have to represent this fascinating place I grew up in [00:21:00] literary form. so Guyana and Guyanese are inspirational. But specifically how I started writing it, the two images, both of my childhood, childhood, and Guyana. And they both came into that little excerpt you would have heard at the beginning. So, I just sat down to write with these two images in my mind, doesn't really know what the story was going to be or where it was going to go. I was going to happen. I just had these two images in my mind. And those were, one was.. there's a little Creek in Guyana and Guyana is. in the native, one of the native languages. It means the land of many waters and it's full of rivers and creeks. And the creeks are quite unique because they're, because of the minerals in the water they are a deep red color, it looks black when it's in the shadow or deep red in the sunlight. So you call them The creeks or Blackwater creeks, and those are the Creek we used to go to when I was growing up in Guyana, we all, she to dive in the Creek and the. That's a great time there, that first image of, diving into the Creek and into the cold [00:22:00] water. that was, in my mind, from my childhood and I started off the book with that image of diving into the Creek, which I guess you could say as a fairly obvious metaphor for delving into the subconscious and the other image was, the other image you would have seen at the beginning of the device or a structure that plays a significant role in the story, that the character sees and is horrified by this kind of metallic yet organic, spherical squirming object could be covered with tentacle-like things. This actually came from a nightmare I had once when I was a child in Guyana that terrified me at the time.

[00:22:37] I always remembered that image and I kind of dredged that out of my mind and put it on paper together with that other memory of diving into the Creek. And then this, I just had this image occurred to me of this guy, Compton who became Compton witnessing this, this device and remembering diving into the Creek and all kind of came from that.

[00:22:59] I [00:23:00] didn't know what was going to happen really initially. So, yeah, those were the initial direct inspirations from it. I wonder, I'd like to ask a lot of writers how much of their stories are inspired by images from dreams? I think, I bet a lot are.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:23:13] Yeah, I think so too. I do believe that that, that may be the case, but for sure, a lot of them also, I won't say a lot of them, but some actually do draw from, from childhood memories and, and, so it's, it's, it's interesting to hear you say that you, that it came out of that. I'll just say that you wove them together well. and then to bring us back to this character, it worked very well. The title Soul Shakedown the metaphysical adventure. What was the significance of the title? 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:23:46] Yeah, well originally, before it was a novel, so let's say the novel  was a short story or a novelette called soul food was the original title for reason that will become apparent too. When you read the story, I won't give too much away [00:24:00] by saying much about that, but you kind of see why it's called that, when read the story. And, I can't remember what point I changed associate down, but, it, the line comes from a Bob Marley song. Actually Bob Marley, another Bob Marley song, natural mystics, features prominently in the book, again, I won't go too much into that.

[00:24:18] You will find out that for yourself, but the line is from Bob Marley song,   Soul Shakedown party, classic old, old song when they were the Wailers, the Wailing Wailers, back in the seventies, or the sixties, whenever it may have been, back in the days of ska and rock steady. And it's this of the song. about a party, but, it also has a double meaning. Of course, the shakedown is not just shaking at the party. It's also a robbery. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:24:41] Right. 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:24:42] You'll see why that also has significance again when you read the book. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:24:47] Okay. So what, what's the future for the, for the characters? Are we going to see a sequel at some point? 

[00:24:55] Gareth R. Miles: [00:24:55] Definitely. What's in the works right now. What I have already written about, [00:25:00] I'd see a fifth written and I need to start working on is another SQL bit of semi-sequel in that, some of the major characters in slow shakedown. Show up as minor characters in this one, and some of them of book Soul Shakedown as, see where they got as the first person narration from this character  Compton written in  Guyanese or Creolese dialect. this one that the, more conventional third-person narrative in standard English going through different people's viewpoints. It's not going to be all Guyanese characters in this book as I had mentioned before I said, all the characters in the book are our soldiers and are Guyanese. And he's a really, I know some are black American, but there are no really kind of like. Good. Typical white characters who you would start in Hollywood movie existence. It's all, you know, the people who are normally the extras in the Hollywood movie are all the characters in a soul shakedown.

[00:25:58] But, the semi [00:26:00] sequel, Progressionally titled Brooklyn Die, Die, I'll explain why in a minute is, a more, a broader palette of characters. Its got Guyanese, its got, you know, others who has got like kind of people in it and from lots of different viewpoints, and. Even more stronger comedic elements. I want to really emphasize the, bring up the comedy and, Brooklyn Die, Die. So that's a semi sequel, bit of a different book that, draw on, soul shakedown but not a direct sequel to it, but what, but, and I'll say a bit about the title Brooklyn die die. Again, I wanted to bring a bit of Guyanese folklore to the forefront. soul shaked on, we've got so many supernatural creatures in Guyanese folklore that make great subjects for, you know, horror science fiction and fantasy. What you name it. So, Soul Shakedown is based on one folkloric creature we have called Ole Hygge.

[00:26:53] Yeah. And in Trinidad and Tobago and in Guyana is Ole Hyge seem similar creature. when you find out in the books, [00:27:00] what an old ag is  I won't tell you too much, but basically it's a kind of a vampire-like creature that can also manifest as a ball of fire. but, in the next one, in the booklet Brooklyn die die I'm going to go into a different Guyanese supernatural creature called the Bush die day, which is, you know, the Sasquatch or the bigfoot or abominable snowman that, you know, the ape. the Mythical or some say perhaps not mythical, ape-man. but in Guyana has its own version of that, but instead of a bigfoot, he or she is a little foot by three-foot tall hairy little how many he lives in the jungle and as part of, the native, folklore mythology, or who knows perhaps. Natural history, who knows what lives in the jungle of Ghana. So big place and lots of people, places where people haven't been, therefore, you know, but so, but, but the Bush die day is the kind of the central Guyanese supernatural creature in a [00:28:00] Brooklyn dye day as a ole hyge is in Soul Shakedown. but I also want to do, and I've been asked to do by people who've read soul shakedown and are demanding a sequel. So, I definitely want to do a direct sequel, in the main character Compton's voice, continuing the story at some point, but I'm not sure when that'll be. might take me a couple of years.

[00:28:19] I might have to go back to Guyana on another trip and we absorb a bit of Guyanese culture. Haven't been in a long time. but that'll definitely come definitely come out at some points and what's going to happen in it. I gotta say, honestly, I don't know this, like I know what's gonna happen at the beginning of this one, I'm as eager to find out as you are, as you did a couple of things that, I know that Compton himself, the main character doesn't know. Well, there's a lot. but I don't know. I wait for that to be revealed. and while I'm this subject, I'll go into another planned project of mine, a very different book. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:28:53] so you're working on three books. You're working on two books simultaneously? 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:28:58] I'm working on a lot of stuff, Simultaneously and this book. [00:29:00] I think it's the way I work. I don't, I can't really work on this one thing. Well, actually I can't say I haven't. I do often work one thing at a time. It helps me if I go from one thing to another, keep it fresh for sure. And sometimes what might not work as a short story might become a part of a novel later and so on. So, I'm always working on different little snippets of stuff, but, um, another. A plan in the works is a very different book, but exploring the same kind of theme from a very different angle. So again, about the nature of souls and looking at it from a kind of science fiction, fantasy speculative viewpoint, about speculating about what souls could be. but it's coming from a very different angle than a soul shakedown and that's going to be called the soul reef and not to give too much away, but, certain people that could be trying to be exploiting souls to the source of, power, much like oil or something like that.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:30:00] [00:30:00] Wow. 

Gareth R Miles [00:30:01]but that's going to be soul reef a very different book that'll come out in the future. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:30:06] All right. You're busy. [00:30:10] So, so let's, let's talk about you for a minute, for a minute. So you're working on, you're working on these two, two, books. So, what inspired you to start writing and, and how long have you been writing?

Gareth R. Miles: [00:30:21] I've been writing from ever since I could write, I guess, haven't been writing enough lately. I need to really get back into the habit and set for this in this book after, well, after trying to publish it through traditional channels for over a decade and feeling and getting a bit discouraged and getting out of the regular writing habit, you know, Going the self-publishing routes, which I had my doubts about cause I'm not a fan of Amazon and Jeff Bezos. I don't think they should be trillionaires in this world that billions of starving people. but to be a self-published writer, you really have no choice, but to use Amazon, you're not going to have an audience otherwise. So it is what it is. So, publishing my book was going to give myself a bit [00:31:00] of a kick in the butt to really make myself. Take this writing thing seriously and get more books out. so, getting back to your question, I've been writing ever since I could write, and what inspired me to write was reading. I always loved to read books, mate. I grew up around lots of books. My parents had less books in the house from, you know, Pretty early age. And soon as I read books of wanted to write, though, when I started writing as a kid and was doing it very consistently as a kid, perhaps, cause you have less distractions as a kid, then as an adult, not so consistently as an adult. One of the, I mentioned. My first attempt at writing a novel was based on a book, quite a famous book. You might've heard of June by Frank Herbert on this thing. There's going to be a new movie, Anyway, June is quite a book that one of the earliest kind of adult books I read as a child growing up, kind of fascinated me and made me want to start writing.

[00:31:58] So I would have booked this [00:32:00] perhaps a bit too heavily influenced by June. also also watching Star Wars as a kid. I mean, I was born in London. I'm giving a bit about myself, born in London in 1972 and left in 1977 to move to Guyana with my family, the age of six. And one of my last memories in London was watching Star Wars, right? When it first came up and boy, that movie, you know, took my imagination on a trip. And I wanted to also start with the fact that I wrote that the return of the Jeddi before the return of Jedi came out  I was writing the sequel to empire strikes back before it. Wasn't very good. So those kinds of things inspired me to, to write and so yeah, and then as you can tell, I'm a science fiction and fantasy fan always have been. Of course, all other types of literature too. but science, and fantasy. I feel, I like it cause it has a broader palette. Is that the right word to use the, Oh yeah. I broader palette of colors. You could see it to use. And other than your tool, you can do [00:33:00] pretty much anything. You could do any other form of literature plus more explore different topics on, you know, different literature of ideas. not just character story and so on, but also ideas, which I hope soul shakedown incorporates all those things. That's another thing I hope I wanted to do is to have a somewhat original concept, but it's very difficult. And, science fiction and I don't know if it's possible, this probably has been done before, but I don't have, at least I haven't read this particular concept done quite this way before. So, I hope I kind of did some kinds of original concept there that maybe. Someone else could even take off on and do their own twist on something. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:33:39] No, this is, this is fascinating. So you've really, this book then has been in the mix for quite a while, at least maybe in your head for a long time. 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:33:49] Yeah. Yeah. I'd say this book, I won't get too much into it, but it had, quite a profound and also traumatizing experience. In the turn of [00:34:00] the 21st century. And this book was written as I was coming out of that experience, I'll be open about what the experience is. We should talk about this and there's no reason not to I was diagnosed with had what's called a manic episode. and I was diagnosed as a, they call it bipolar.

[00:34:17]a manic episode for those that are not aware is quite an intense thing. You feel like you don't have to eat or sleep. You like have endless amounts of energy. And, you have, your idea becomes, let's say distorted, you've quite become the grandiose ideas. Um, so I won't go too much into the whole thing, but I was quite convinced for a minute that a nuclear war is imminent, and I had to warn people about it.

[00:34:41] And I was, hospitalized and, briefly on medication and come out of that. And, I had had been sane since at least as far as I can tell, not to me to judge, but I feel like quite sane since so thankfully, praise Jah, I had that one episode and [00:35:00] no more, cause for many people, this is something that really debilitates their life.

[00:35:03] Really. Thankfully for me, it has been only that one time, but it was a very, I would say traumatic. At the time is also profound looking back in that kind of experience. And, I don't think there's any way that this book was directly inspired by it, but I think coming out of it made me want to maybe go back into writing more seriously.

[00:35:22] So 

[00:35:23] Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:35:23] I'm probably channeling some of, some of what you experienced. 

[00:35:28] Gareth R. Miles: [00:35:28] And I wonder if even some of the, kind of the map that the, the manic energy of the manic episodes comes across in the book too because I think the book has had a certain kind of. I hope it does a certain kind of manic energy in a good sense I hope it carries you along.

[00:35:43] Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:35:43] I think it does. I think it's done. And it's very interesting that you're putting it in this, in this, context for us. But, but, but as you've said too earlier, right, we will read the book and we will we'll shape the issues and the experiences, based on our own, [00:36:00] but absolutely that energy is there.

[00:36:03] I mean, Sometimes, reading it for myself. I had to kind of like step back a little and there was a little scary nightmarish kind of feeling that, you know, just nothing for long, but you, so certainly that that comes through, but it also carries through in a very entertaining way. So, and I think that that was important 

[00:36:23] Gareth R. Miles: [00:36:23] I was wondering if the horror element of it came because. I wanted to do a lot of things associate on the other than if I was biting off too much to chew properly.

[00:36:34]Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:36:34] I think you left enough there that folks will, will take this. Take the experience where it leads them. 

[00:36:46] Gareth R. Miles: [00:36:46] Oh, sorry. Let me interrupt you. I was going to say definitely, horror was another kind of genre I wanted to capture.

[00:36:54] The action adventure, obviously science fiction and fantasy with ideas and concepts also just active [00:37:00] adventure and, you know, thrills and spills, and definitely a very strong, comedic edge, but I definitely wanted there to be a horrifying edge in there too, which I was wondering if I could balance the comedy and the horror or if they would cancel each other out. So, I'm glad you said that you did get a sense.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:37:14] Oh, yeah. No, absolutely. I mean, you know, you, you, as I said to the, the beauty of this is that. If you're a reader, your imagination also carries you through this. So, I, you know, I think you know that the reader's own imagination will help to color some of what you're, what you're talking about. Maybe there'll be, the experience will be more intense for some people. Certainly for me, the, the comedic, the, the humor, was very, very powerful. And certainly there was a little bit of the horror nightmarish too that, that you got, but it wasn't enough. I'm not into horror. Stuff. And I'm not into science fiction except for star Trek, but this book certainly [00:38:00] kept me reading. I mean, you know, it certainly did what it was supposed to do. It kept me reading. So, you know, that works. I think it works on all fronts and many of the ways that you have, you have described it. So, you know, I think I started saying when I, when we started and I deliberately wanted to play. The opening excerpt that you, uh, that you gave us as a teaser on your Facebook page. And, and I listened to that. I got the book and I started reading and I so wanted to hear your voice. And so my question is, will there be an audiobook version? Of this book, because I think it has to be, not that you can't read it and enjoy it as a book because I think absolutely you can. And I noticed too, you also have a glossary of, of some of those, creolese words. So for people who needed that, but I don't think you even that you even need it because you can just kind of like go with the [00:39:00] flow on this and get the, get the meaning and get the, experiences obviously. There are some traditional things that you probably would have to look up to give a little more context, but I didn't have a problem following it at all.

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:39:14] But the way that you read the book though, is just fabulous. And I think it would be without an audio. I mean, I think you would be remiss not to pursue. An audio book, version of soul shakedown. What do you say? 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:39:30] Definitely, definitely. In in fact, there's a plan in the works with, collaboration with a local, studio here called, creature sound.

[00:39:41] Actually they're much more than the studio. They'll plug for a creature sound. When I say here, I currently live in Swansea Wales, UK, and the creature sound is a local recording studio set up by a Jamaican lady from London in his cast. He moved here with her husband and her husband, Alan, a few years back. And they've been real kind of a [00:40:00] force of nature since they've come here, they both are formally homeless and they, they're into music and they've come there, the services recording studio, but because of their experience being homeless, they also use it as a place where for example, homeless people would come and have a shower. And shower facilities there and as well, and they're also a venue for all local music of all different genres to perform, obviously due to the coronavirus situation, not currently functioning, but once things are back up and running, as far as what's feasible, Hopefully, fingers crossed and the future once it's health-wise feasible for us to do it. I'll definitely be recording in the studio and they've been so kind as to actually do a little, promotional video advertising my book, and they were saying that they're going to sponsor for every a hundred people buying the book. They're going to give me more free time to record it in their studio. So. 

[00:40:50] Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:40:50] So why don't you give us that the title of your book, tell us where you can get it. And if I can, ask you as we, we, we wrap up this interview. [00:41:00] If you can, you, you shared a little snippet from the back of the book. Can you give us another, another little, a little taste of this to kind of like tease us a little bit bigger. I just love hearing your voice. 

[00:41:14] Sure, 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:41:14] Moronke. I thank you so much to have you here. so, yeah. so, the book is soul shakedown subtitled, a metaphysical adventure by Gareth R miles, and you can find it on Amazon. In whatever country you're in, whether that's in America, amazon.com, amazon.co.UK, whatever.

[00:41:36] because it's different site. Just look for it on whichever site in your country on Amazon. You'll find it. I've also got a website www.GarethRmiles.com. So you can check out this, got the link to the book and you can check that excerpt or to me, reading that you heard at the beginning, there's a link to the YouTube clip of that. I a bit about myself and eventually there'll be a blog. I [00:42:00] haven't got to writing the blog yet, but I will assume, yeah, there's that? And yeah, what you want them more excerpt? 

[00:42:05] Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:42:05] Is it, so

[00:42:06] Gareth R. Miles: [00:42:06] so I'm giving you this one. Excellent. Doesn't give anything we have to plot. It gives you maybe another little taste of the kind of language and rhythm of the book. So, I start reading. Just giving you the context, the character Compton is talking about, his, fiancee, Sammie who's, African American, Why he's hesitant to tell her about a supernatural experience he's had, because he doesn't think, she'll believe him.

[00:42:35] "So he goes, see we from Guyana it more easy if we to accept this kind of thing. But if you know, GT that's Guyana, you would know what kind of mystical place we all, you could feel the mangrove swamp and the reinforced pushing up under the concrete, into our stone. Ready for reclaiming the space. We hold that Rick, Rick kicks on the frost, [00:43:00] his neck, just like a regular guitar.

[00:43:02] Do we hold the stitch itself into a Brain and we've entered the insects, worrying and rafting on the board, straight into the end of hypnotized. And then when evening, fall, you start seeing a kind of things in the shadows. We hold our then rules of tiny condos, the Stan century under the study during the Valley, or when you pass by granny Morris's house in the village, you hear in them comfort drums, hammer in your brain and person and down your spine through your start feeding as possessed as the comfort people themselves.

[00:43:30] Okay. You're getting the picture. I just think these Yankee people who grew up here in car instead of crickets and training, instead of towards. It hard for them to swallow the idea of supernatural things, wild card. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:43:42] All right. So I, you know, I want to say thank you so much, Gareth for the opportunity to talk to you. [00:43:48] This has been, 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:43:50] it's been a great pleasure and great opportunity. Thank you so much. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:43:53] A great pleasure for, for me also, and for our listeners. I hope that we can, we [00:44:00] can have you want again, maybe to. Talk about when, when audio, the audiobook launches or when the other book Brooklyn die or yeah. Or even soul reef, when that comes, when they come out, maybe you can talk to us again, but we certainly love to hear you and hear you, um, share your experience, writing the book and also some of these characters.

[00:44:23]so again, thank you so much for the opportunity. So there you have it. We've been talking to Gareth, R miles talking about his new book. Soul shakedown, a metaphysical adventure it's available on amazon.com. You can also get it on his website, www.garethramiles.com. I say, get that book immediately.

[00:44:46] You've heard him talk about it. It is an experience, to read. so, don't waste time on there. And let us know what you, what you think about it. Once again, Gareth, thank you so much. [00:45:00] And we look 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:45:00] forward to, 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:45:01] we look forward to you coming on our show again. 

Gareth R. Miles: [00:45:05] Thank you. I look, I look forward to that.

One, love other people out there. Respect. That's all. 

Moronke Oshin-Martin: [00:45:14] Thank you. 

[00:45:18] If you enjoyed our show today, please subscribe and leave us feedback. 

[00:45:23] We'd love to hear from you.