Novel Announcement: Volition Agent
If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you’ve undoubtedly seen a few teasing posts about my next novel project. I’ve teased with a few hints, surprises, and more. Well the teasing can come to an end, I have decided to finally let the cat out of the bag.
My next novel, titled Volition Agent, is a fast paced SciFi Thriller set in the near future. The highly secretive Agency has a Volition program. They take everyday people who are physically fit and recruit them as Volition Agents. They are implanted with a control chip so that a highly trained “handler” can control their every action. If a Agent is captured the loss to the Agency in minimal. Agents are sent on missions from intelligence gatherings to assassinations. Volition Agent followed Lexia, one of the agents.
Here is a tentative blurb:
Lexia Santarelli is part of a top secret group of Volition Agents. These untrained, unremarkable, everyday people are recruited by the agency to be literally controlled by their “handler” through a device implanted in their necks. It is an exciting life, and despite some of the annoyances, Lexia enjoys it.
That is until the Agency decides to let Lexia take the fall for a mission gone wrong. Her link with her handler, Lance is severed. Suddenly Lexia finds herself alone, unprepared, and hunted by the very people she trusted.
With few clues, minimal training, and an unlikely ally Lexia sets out to discover what really happened on that botched assignment. Determined to set right the wrong she created, nothing can stand in her way. Not even the Agency itself.
I have some great cover art for this novel, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. So here it is:
Copyright 2013 Kristin Irons Photography
The cover art is shot and designed by Kristin Irons (website). I’ve worked with Kristin before, she designed the logo for Plasma Spyglass Press. Kristin is a very talented photographer and when I explained what I was looking for she said she had an idea. The next week was a bit of a whirlwind. Kristin found a model, the very beautiful and talented Joy Anna, to play Lexia in a photo shoot. She then teased me relentlessly with images from that photo shoot before showing me the image she had in mind for the cover art. I am a very picky and hard to work with person when it comes to cover art, but she kept taking my ideas and reworking them until we came up with the cover above. And I couldn’t be more thrilled by it.
Let me tell you why this cover is so special to me. This is the first time I’ve had anyone “play” one of my character in any way. Joy Anna, whose modeling pictures I had only seen briefly before this, jumped into this project head first. I understand they captured a ton of images and I’ve only seen a few of them. As a writer, I was excited to see what might come from this. I’ve never met, or even talked to Joy Anna but I thank her for her time because the results are absolutely amazing.
A big heartfelt thanks to Joy Anna, Kristin, and her assistant William Harris. So many folks use stock art, or stock photos to make custom cover art. But I have a real custom cover for this novel. Please take a moment to check out the people that helped with this cover, give them a like, follow, or whatever else to show them some support. Kristin Irons: Facebook, Twitter, Website Joy Anna: Facebook William Harris: Flickr
This is the first story I have written where it had a title before I ever wrote it. The whole idea came from hearing the word volition and it’s meaning; the ability to make a choice or decision. So Volition Agent was an easy enough title for me to come up with. I think it works well given the themes in this novel.
So when is the release date for Volition Agent? One hasn’t been set just yet. But I have a deadline of the first week of June 2013. So expect to see it no later than this. I hope to have it out a little sooner, but you can’t rush these things. I’ll be sending it out for Beta Readers in the first two weeks of April. Then my editor will get this. I’ll be working with a new editor this time, since Robert is booked up for the foreseeable future. As always, watch this blog, my Twitter and Facebook for updates.
I’ll leave you with a few other images from the photo shoot:
Copyright 2013 Kristin Irons
Copyright 2013 Kristin Irons
Copyright 2013 Kristin Irons
Spotlight on Dissolution of Peace
The folks over at Celebrating Authors have done a Spotlight on Dissolution of Peace. You can check it out here: LINK. As you usual please show your support by letting them know you saw my spotlight, what you thought of it, and any other comments.
Celebrating Authors is a great website dedicated to spotlighting authors and trying to unite them with readers. I think they are a great site, and I follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Check out their Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and Twitter page too.
Shining in Crimson By Robert S. Wilson
Today Shining in Crimson (Empire of Blood) by Robert S. Wilson was released in the Kindle Version with the Paperback and Hardcover editions set to be released October 2nd. You can check out his website to see more about it, or visit Amazon to buy eReader version. Also you can follow Shining in Crimson on Facebook.
Now that you can look up what I am talking about, I thought I would explain why I mention this particular book release. Robert and I are both members of the Hatrack Writers Workshop (or Hatrackers). In early February I came across a post in our Fragments and Feedback section in which I read an intro to a Vampire book.
Typically this is not my genre and I tend to steer away from it. I don’t remember why I chose to read this, but I am glad I did. I was hooked by the style of this small opening fragment. I offered to review the whole thing. I had not read a critiqued a novel before, but if I can help I figured I would try it.
I spent the rest of the month reading over three chapter blocks. I offered my advice but truthfully I fell for Robert’s characters, their struggles, and the overall plot. And I continued to push him to send me more chapters, while he continued to try to get them edited. And, like most stories I truly love deep down, I was a little sad when it was over. From the time I read that draft to now, I would say that I gained a friend in Robert.
It was a really good book, and I generally don’t care for Vampire stories. Perhaps it is my limited knowledge of the genre. Perhaps it is the way Twilight has transformed the mainstream vampire story. I don’t know why I don’t care for the genre. However, Robert changed my mind. Or at least opened my mind a little.
This is not the Vampire story where the vampires are hunky men, and you have to join Team Mark or Team Sam. This is about Hank, the Main Character who finds himself charged with a crime and sentenced to visit Necropolis, a city belonging to the Vampires now. This is a sure death sentence, but Hank is desperate to survive for the sake of his son.
There are several plot threads to this story giving it depth and forward motion. I found myself turning pages with ease as I hoped for the success of the various characters. I’ll stop here. It’s time for you to pick up your Kindle and read Shining in Crimson.
I have chosen to pre-order the paperback version which will ship on October 2nd in honor of Robert’s mother’s birthday (who passed away in 2006). If you wish to pre-order a paperback or hardback edition you can do it here. If you are on Goodreads you can enter to win a copy here.
At the very least, pick up the Kindle Version for only 99 cents. It will be the best dollar you ever spent.
