A man thrust a baby into Jade’s hands. It trembled in her arms. The man had a message: escape from the tunnels and never return, her parents were already dead. Jade had a sister; she was irradiated.
Thirteen years later, her sister, Pearl, is coming of age. Rows of sucker-caps line her arms and hands. Her skin is coral pink. Each night, her dreams fill with visions of violence, depression, and fear.
On the surface, people have grown wild and dangerous. They scavenge, fight, and steal. Below, in the tunnels, they're controlled by a ruthless leader and an army of beings known only as Shadows. When both groups come searching for Pearl, sensing the power her dreams may hold, only Jade can stand in the way.
Genre: FICTION / Science Fiction / GeneralIrradiated has only recently launched, and is the first in a trilogy. It has appeared on Amazon.com sub-genre Top 100 lists, and reached the top 50 in Metaphysical Science Fiction and Psychic Suspense. On Amazon.com.au in peaked at #3 on the Dystopian Science Fiction chart.
As a first release, the sales-plan for Irradiated is longer term. A sequel, Degenerated, is due to be released in July/August, 2014. The third book in the trilogy, Aberrated, will be published in early 2015. A number of marketing activities have been planned to co-incide with the release of the second book. This includes a four-week blog tour, ebook promotional compains, and timed discounts. Historically, series are popular in the ebook format, and the marketing approach is to attract readers to the subsequent books by heavily promoting the first novel.
The man thrust a baby into Jade’s hands. It was warm and wet and its cries were muffled. Thick fabric covered its face and body. It trembled in her arms.
“You have to go,” said the man. His voice was urgent and his movements were rapid. Each breath was hot and laboured.
“I don’t understand. Where’s Mum, where’s Dad?” Jade asked.
The tunnel was dark but she could place him by the sound, by the heat, by the air. His panic rushed into her, as though it was her own. He grabbed her with heavy hands and turned her around.
“There’s no time,” he said. “No time, child. They’re coming. The Shadows are coming. You need to get out of here.”
“B-But, what about my parents?” she stammered.
The man squeezed her shoulders tightly, his fingers digging into her muscles and between her bones.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “They’re dead. You have to trust us. This is your only chance. This is your sister’s only chance. You have to keep going and never turn back.”
He pushed her onward, and other hands grabbed her. They grasped her then passed her on to the next set. They all knew what was happening, all knew where she was headed—everybody but her. She clutched the squealing baby in her long, thin arms and yielded herself to their guidance.
Jade had a sister; she was irradiated.
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Alejandra Gutierrez
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Author review: Alejandra was a joy to work with. Not only is she a skilled translator, I found her to be a great communicator. She kept in touch throughout the process to ask questions and seek clarifications. I always got the sense that my book was in the right hands. Alejandra was also well organised and efficient. She completed the translation on time and on schedule, and took the time to carefully proof her final manuscript. I highly recommend Alejandra as a translator and would happily work with her again. |
