“Would you be willing to switch genres – to science fiction?”
This question, posed by my editor at Thomas Nelson over a year ago, brought about a mixture of excitement, fear, and awe. Switch genres? I’d only just begun writing contemporary fiction. The question hung in cyberspace, haunting me. Could I switch genres? I felt (still feel) so insecure about my writing. And some of my all-time favorite authors write science fiction, some of my all-time favorite books are in that genre: Ted Dekker’s Circle trilogy, CS Lewis’ space trilogy, Brave New World….I can’t do THAT!!
But God delights in using the improbable. I have seen that over and over again. None of my English teachers from high school would have ever guessed I would grow up to be an English teacher, and they sure wouldn’t have guessed I’d be a writer. But that’s what God does – He uses us in ways we never expected so that we know it is through His power and a result of His grace that we accomplish His plans.
So I said, “Sure” (sounding far more confident than I felt!), and I began to draft ideas for what would be the Anomaly trilogy – a Christian dystopian/romance, set in a future where the world has been destroyed by nuclear war and the only survivors were scientists who created an underground community in preparation of just such an event. The first book in this series comes out next month (!), and I couldn’t be more excited. This is something I think I have always secretly wanted to do, but never thought I really could do. I am humbled and encouraged that the amazing team at Thomas Nelson believed in me more than I believed in myself.
I’ll be giving away copies later this month, and they’ll be a blog tour where free copies AND a mini-iPad will be given away!! Stay tuned for info on that.
But, for now, let me introduce you to my new “baby”….
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.
Decades before Thalli’s birth, the world ended in a nuclear war. But life went on deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. Since then, they have genetically engineered humans to be free from emotions in the hopes that war won’t threaten their lives again.
But Thalli was born with the ability to feel emotions and a sense of curiosity she can barely contain. She has survived so far thanks to her ability to hide those differences. But Thalli’s secret is discovered when she is overwhelmed by the emotion in an ancient piece of music.
Sheis quickly scheduled for annihilation, but her childhood friend, Berk, convinces The Ten to postpone her death and study her instead. While in the scientists’ Pod, Thalli and Berk form a dangerous alliance, one strictly forbiddenby the constant surveillance in the pods.
As her life ticks away, she hears rumors of someone called the Designer—someone even more powerful than The Ten. What’s more, the parts of her that have always been an anomaly could in fact be part of a much larger plan. And the parts ofher that she has always guarded could be the answer she’s been looking for all along.
Thalli must sort out what to believe and who she can trust, before her time runs out…
I’m a little sad you’re changing genres, but Anomaly sounds fantastic! I wish I could take part in the blog tour!
^_^
I wish you could, too! And don’t be sad. I’m changing genres, but I’m still me 🙂 I think you’ll enjoy Anomaly.
Just found you and your Anomaly trilogy and I am super pumped! I’m a mom of three and I’ve been reading a lot of books from the YA section of our library to see what might interest them… And to see if I’ll be appalled or okay with what’s out there. Been mostly okay with it. But I’m excited that a Christian author will take on a dystopian novel because they are so big right now. Also going to recommend them to the 11-12th grade girls’ Sunday school class I co-teach. What’s the third one going to be called?
Great! Thanks for looking for these books. The third is Revolutionary, and it’ll be out in July. Another Christian author tackling this genre is Jill Williamson – the Safelands Series.