BLOG TOUR: Into The Gray Scale by Oge Mobuogwun (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Into the Gray Scale

Author: Oge Mobuogwu

Publisher: Reboshke Publishing

Cover Artist: Rafael Andres of CoveKitchen

Release Date: November 6, 2024

Pairing: MM, MMF

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

A sleuth crime dark fantasy based on folklore and physics

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 305 pages

Is it a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble | Audible

Dead men can’t catch killers. But maybe with the right help, they can bend the rules from the afterlife.

Blurb
Dead men can’t catch killers. But maybe with the right help, they can bend the rules from the afterlife.

Drug dealer AJ has just discovered he’s been murdered. Trapped in the surreal complexities of the afterlife, he realizes he’s still bound in service to his killer, the ruthless drug kingpin Governor Tyson. Meanwhile, homicide detective Maleek Shapiro is closing in on “skooches”, an enigmatic and dangerous drug at the heart of the case.

As Shapiro edges closer to proving the case against the governor, the investigation throws him into a maze of mystical experiences, unsettling encounters, and nightmarish realms where the boundaries between life and death—and dreams and reality—blur. Dead bodies begin to pile up as the untouchable governor storms towards his sinister goals without regard for consequences.

Can Shapiro, with AJ’s help from beyond the grave, stop the governor or will they all be sacrificed at the altar of his personal ambitions?

A poetic, spiritual and gripping exploration of the human psyche and the thin line between life and death, INTO THE GRAY SCALE blends dark fantasy with crime drama, unraveling raw emotions and surreal twists that challenge the boundaries of reality itself!

Excerpt

His space had become a numbing static, like the sound that came out of old television sets when the networks closed out for the day. It was like a sad score one heard whenever his mess of a life played out. The muffled sounds coming from the TV in the living room, the loud clicking of the old grandpa clock that hung in the kitchen for no justifiable reason, as if taunting him on how much of a waste of time his existence was, and of course the humming of the microwave, the only source of comfort in his life presently.

Beep. His meal was ready.

At the dining, he knew Michelle made every effort to ignore him. Her aloofness, in her nightgown, legs folded up on the sofa, playing with her hair while staring at the TV, had become a constant image for him. He knew exactly what he would find her doing every night, no matter what time he came home. He knew the posture and particular positions she took. He wondered if he would ever ask why she watched Jerry Springer every night, however perfectly the chaos from the show mirrored their life. He wondered how surprised he would be coming home one day to find her doing something else or better still, dead. It gave him comfort, thinking about finding her dead, maybe from a heart attack or a razor to the wrist or some freak accident. Who cared? He usually thought about her when he watched “A Thousand Ways to Die.”

He finished cleaning the countertop and used area, then took the food take out pack to the trash. Very conspicuously placed in the open bin was an unwrapped used tampon. It was red and gorged with blood, sitting in the middle and on top on the trash. Clearly, she dropped them just when he was about to get in. He should have gotten used to it already but still, he allowed himself to get shocked every time. It was going to be throughout the current period. From his mental count she had a day or two to go.

He was still visibly upset when he got outside with the trash, a lot with Michelle for being such a psychopath but also with himself and the situation he’d allowed himself to get into.

As he smoked later that night in a private make-shift man cave behind the house, he let his thoughts travel far still. He thought about Tana and chastised himself for being so callous earlier that day. He thought about his eight-year-old marriage and how quickly it had deteriorated, about Michelle and her lack of forgiveness, and the tampon tantrum she threw every month. He still wished her dead, though. He needed to escape. Sometimes he envied those in prison for being so far away from it all. He wondered why it never occurred to him to take his own life, if he would ever get to that point or if he’d have the guts if he ever did but, in that moment, he hoped he would have the guts to shoot Michelle instead.

It had stopped being because he was horny, the frequency didn’t even allow him to get horny anymore. It was more a routine, an establishment of comfortable familiarity and most importantly, an exit point for stress. It wasn’t necessarily pleasure either. Okay, of course it was a bit of pleasure, but it was an important hand-picked routine to end the day. The last time he didn’t masturbate before bed, he did not sleep throughout the night and had a messy day afterward. As he stroked, he focused his mind on his wife, her nonchalance ever so defiant, on ASCHA and its deadness, his chaotic life that managed to stay uneventful at the same time, his disapproving father, Angela Blaine and her smirk-laced stupid face that seemed to say, “I’d have fucked you but you’re way below the pay grade,” and instead resorted to mocking him with her every gaze; on the ASCHA co-workers and their scheming, the inmates that bored him with their constant meaningless chatter, his dead neighborhood and the prison he found his life in. Eyes tightly closed; he ran these thoughts in his mind like a slide show, as his stroking became more vigorous. In his mind, the images and people stopped swirling and finally gathered into a pile, like rubbish, his own failures at the top on that pile. He spread his legs as if in a real simulation, stroking and breathing harder and ejaculated on top all the pile, letting out a deep muffled groan. As he steadied his breathing under the running shower, he allowed himself wonder if he wasn’t a psychopath himself, just like his wife. Maybe they were meant for each other after all. Was he the only one who got off on such images? But his was a ritual, a coping mechanism, and a way to say “fuck you” to it all. It was better than taking an assault rifle to Angela’s office. That thought only crossed his mind once.

In the bedroom, Michelle lay backing his side of the bed, awake but pretending to sleep, deliberately leaving him little space as if she wanted to be asked to move. Standing by and staring at her, he in turn wondered if it wasn’t her deliberate attempt to initiate communication. Was she tired of her tampon tantrums? They actually hadn’t had a single conversation in two years. Not one. The house routine was so set they didn’t even need to discuss food or bills. They simply found their place and moved on. He took a pillow and walked out the door. After he left, she opened her eyes and raised her head to glance at the shut door..

About the Author
Oge Mobuogwu is a graduate of the University of Benin, Nigeria, where he earned a degree in computer science. Oge is both a novelist and screenwriter, and currently resides in Houston, Texas.

Q&A with Oge Mobuogwu

Q: If you could spend some real-life time with one of the characters in the book, who would you choose and why?
I would choose Adank Sutter, a fascinating character who lives in the 4th dimension. His unique perspective and experiences would provide an incredible opportunity to explore a world beyond our own and understand the complexities of different dimensions.

Q: On the flipside, which character would you probably least get along with? Why?
I would probably least get along with Michelle Weppler. Her unbalanced and insufferable nature would make it difficult to find common ground and maintain a harmonious relationship.

Q: Let’s take off your author cap and put on your reader cap for a moment: what do you look for in a book, what sort of protagonists do you love, and do you have a favorite genre?
I look for books with real characters and realistic situations. I am drawn to anti-heroes who face real challenges and complexities. Also, I appreciate all genres but more often than not, I’ll go for anything with the kind of humor that makes me laugh my butt off.

Q: What books and authors would you say influenced you to become a writer?
Many authors have influenced me, but Sidney Sheldon’s ‘Sands of Time’ was my first novel and had a profound impact on me. The plot and compelling characters inspired me to create my own stories and explore the art of storytelling.

Q: What are your least and most favorite things about being an author?
My favorite part of being an author is bringing a world to life and experiencing characters as if they are real people. The creative process is incredibly rewarding and you really get to know these characters. However, my least favorite part is dealing with writer’s block, which can be frustrating and feel like a burden when the story is stuck in my mind.

Q: What’s the best piece of writing/author advice you’ve ever received that you’d pass on to someone just getting started in the business?
The best advice I received was from Yanni, the Jazz artist (on TV, not personally, lol): “When you’re in the zone, receive all the universe has to say to you, without judgment. Don’t treat one idea as good and the other as bad.” This advice has helped me embrace creativity without self-criticism, allowing me to explore new ideas and improve my writing.

Q: Have you ever written a line, paragraph, or passage, and thought, “Darn, that’s pretty amazing, even if I do say so myself”? What was it?
Yes, several, actually. Due to my writing method called ‘creative meditation’, which allows you to simply hands-off, zone in and let the story tell itself. I stopped planning outlines and would simply let the story be told to me, like an observer. There were times I went back to read what I wrote the night before and be amazed.

Q: If you could choose one of your books to be adapted for the silver screen, which would you choose? Why do you think it would translate well to film?
I would choose ‘Into the Gray Scale’. Its surreal and vivid imagery, combined with a compelling storyline, makes it perfect for a film adaptation. This has also been echoed by many of my readers.

Q: If you had to choose between becoming a superhero or supervillain, which would you choose and why? What would your superpower be?
I would choose to be an anti-hero, as I believe in balancing good and bad. I would choose any of the god-level mutants in the Marvel Universe, like The Beyonder or The Living Tribunal. I love the idea of having immense power.

Q: If you could be any animal in the world, what would you choose? Why?
I would choose to be a mongoose. They are fearless and resourceful creatures that can take on dangerous snakes. I like the idea of making a meal out of something that terrifies most animals.

Q: If you could travel back in time, with all your years of experience and wisdom intact, what advice would you give to your teenage self?
I would tell my teenage self to pursue that US college scholarship with determination and to invest in Bitcoin early on. More importantly, I would advise myself to believe in my abilities and take risks, as these experiences shape who we become.

Author Links

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