Spiked, written by Jon McGoran, is the third book in the Spliced series. This young adult Sci-fi/dystopian novel will be released on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.
Today, I’m excited to host a post by Jon McGoran where he tells us about writing in these trying times. At the end of this post, there is also a US giveaway.
Thank you so much, Jon McGoran and Michelle @ the FFBC tours, for having me on this tour.
Guest Post
Writing in These Trying Times
These are, indeed, trying times, but I am not for a moment going to complain about how the current pandemic has impacted my writing life. There are upsides and downsides to working from home, stuck in a room, just you and your imagination, but in the midst of a pandemic, it’s probably about the best job you could ask for (actually, that’s true all the time).
But that is not to say there aren’t some very strange aspects, as well.
One of the coolest—and most unsettling—aspects of writing the kinds of near-future science fiction or science thriller that I write is when things I have imagined based on current science come true soon after, or even before, the book comes out.
Yes, it can make you look smart, but it can also turn ideas that might have seemed prophetic or boldly visionary into basic “current events.”
Several of the scientific ideas in my books Drift, Deadout and Dust Up became a reality within a year or two of the books coming out—including ideas that some experts told me were impossible (Always ask more than one expert!).
The Spliced series takes place several decades in the future, so I’m confident the main technologies—people altering themselves with splices of animal DNA or enhancing themselves with computer brain implants—are probably still some time off. But there have been developments in the last year or so that have brought both concepts closer to reality.
Eerily, though, there are several aspects of Spiked that actually have become reality. I don’t want to go into too much detail, because I don’t want to spoil the book, but at its core, there is a pandemic aspect to this story, and it occurs in Philadelphia, my hometown, which was particularly hard hit by the 1918 influenza pandemic.
As a human being, it has been terrible to see the devastation caused by Covid-19, but having just spent a year and a half researching pandemics and writing about one spreading through Philadelphia, to watch the current pandemic unfold has been truly surreal.
Synopsis – Spiked by Jon McGoran
A plan for peace turns into a fight for survival in the third book of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller series.
Committed to both peace and human rights for chimeras–people who alter themselves with animal DNA–seventeen-year-old Jimi Corcoran is torn when she’s invited to a gathering of moderate pro- and anti-chimera rights activists seeking to find common ground. But when a militant chimera rights group prevents her from attending–and saves her from being killed by the bomb they’ve planted–Jimi herself falls under suspicion for the blast.
Seeking to clear her name, Jimi and her chimera boyfriend, Rex, investigate the mysterious group. . . . only to discover that her involvement is no accident. As they dig deeper, they’re drawn into a whirlwind of secret identities, shocking experiments, and an apocalyptic plot that threatens the future of humanity.
In this thrilling conclusion to Jon McGoran’s timely and heavy-hitting Spliced series, extremists on both sides square off in an escalating battle between competing visions of the future of humanity, and of the Earth. Set in a near-future society where science is both celebrated and vilified, the Spliced series tackles weighty questions about genetic manipulation, artificial intelligence, population control–and when, if ever, revolution is worth a life.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book depository | Google Books | IndieBound | Kobo
About the author: Jon McGoran
Jon McGoran is the author of Spliced, a near-future YA science fiction thriller that Kirkus calls, “Timely, thrilling, and more than a little scary.” Splintered, the sequel to Spliced, is now available in bookstores everywhere. Look for Spiked, the final book in the trilogy, coming May 2020.
McGoran’s other books include the acclaimed ecological thrillers Drift, Deadout, and Dust Up, as well as The Dead Ring, based on the hit TV show, The Blacklist. Writing as D. H. Dublin, he is also the author of the forensic thrillers Body Trace, Blood Poison and Freezer Burn.
When not writing novels and short fiction or cohosting The Liars Club Oddcast, McGoran works as a freelance writer, developmental editor, and writing coach. Freelance samples and ore information are available here. He also works with Anne Dubuisson to offer a more comprehensive range of publishing and editing services. For more information, email jon@jonmcgoran.com.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
US GIVEAWAY
Prize: Win a copy of SPIKED by Jon McGoran (US Only)
April 27, 2020 – May 7, 2020
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 27th
- Books, Tea, Healthy Me– Interview
April 28th
- L.M. Durand– Guest Post
- Starlight Reads– Review
April 29th
- Books, Tea, Healthy Me– Review
- Lisa Loves Literature– Interview
April 30th
- Popthebutterfly Reads– Review
- Willow Writes And Reads– Review
- Back Shelf Books– Interview
May 1st
- Belle’s Archive– Review