I swear the weeks leading up to the Subject A36 release are flying by. Tomorrow will be February – where did January go? And I’m still hoping for at least one good snow this winter. Snow days are perfect for snuggling up with a good book. Really, anytime is perfect to snuggle up with a book, right? But now it’s time to delve more into the world of Subject A36.
The top left gives you an idea of how Asher and his team may look in the field. They’re not always in full gear like this, but sometimes circumstances call for it.
On the right is Asher standing in front of the Insurgent compound. In addition to field missions, perimeter checks and patrols are 24/7 duties for the operatives.
Then we come to Elijah. He’s the extra eyes and ears of the Insurgents when they’re in the field. As a tech genius, he’s yet to meet a security system he can’t hack, and when things have gone sideways for Asher and his team, Elijah has guided them to egress points and helped them avoid Colony soldiers. As valuable as he is in the tech capacity, Elijah dreams of being a field operative where he can take a more active role in rescuing hostages.
Thanks for dropping by today – have a great weekend, guys!
This week has been a whirlwind – I’d swear it was just Monday. But now it’s Friday (yay!) and it’s been a productive week, so I can’t complain. Let’s meet some more characters.
In the upper right corner, we have Paige. She’s a bit of a mystery to the other Insurgents, even after living and fighting alongside them for the past two years. Paige is friendly to everyone, but doesn’t share much about her life. That’s fine with Asher. He chose her for his Insurgent team because she’s accurate and deadly in the field, and he trusts her with his life. When Paige isn’t on Asher’s Alpha team missions, you’ll find her serving as backup on a Beta team. She’s driven to rescue hostages.
Beneath Paige is Subject A36 – who will remain a mystery.
Beside A36 is Noah. He’s Asher’s best friend, the brother of Brynn, and Controller over his Insurgent sector. This role requires him to think strategically, plan rescue missions, and get the hostages to safe houses. Their safety, along with the safety of his people, is his primary concern. Yes, he’s young, but his father trained and prepared him for this position from a young age. An incredible amount of responsibility rests on his shoulders, and Noah’s greatest fear is making the wrong decision and disappointing his father.
Subject A36 releases February 13th – click on the cover in the sidebar to preorder!
If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?
Residents of the Colony would. And do.
Only the Insurgents can stop them.
Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.
He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.
Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.
Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.
Happy Friday! As promised, below are more images from Subject A36 courtesy of Unsplash and Canva. This week, I’d like to introduce you to some of the characters.
Starting at the top left is my main character, Asher Solomon. What can I say about Ash? He’s suffered some hard losses in his seventeen years – more than anyone his age should ever have to experience. He’ll sacrifice himself to protect those he cares about and hostages taken by The Colony, but makes it very clear to his team that preserving lives while accomplishing their mission is a priority.
Rescuing hostages and fighting Colony soldiers requires an Insurgent to be in top physical shape. Quick reflexes and hand-to-hand combat training could be the difference between life and death. Ash and his team train rigorously several times per week.
The bottom right picture will remain a mystery. Is it Subject A36? Another mystery character? You’ll have to read the book to learn the answer!
Meet Brynn, Asher’s girlfriend and a member of his Insurgent team. She’s also the sister of Asher’s best friend, Noah (who you’ll meet next week). Brynn doesn’t do casual relationships, and very few people are granted access to her inner circle. Earning her trust doesn’t come easily. Once you’re in, it’s for life, and she loves fiercely and unconditionally. Asher has a strong need to save everyone, but Brynn keeps him focused on who he can realistically help.
The last image is of the abandoned warehouse that serves as the Insurgent headquarters and home.
Thanks for dropping by to learn a little more about Asher and Brynn’s world. The link to pre-order Subject A36 is in the sidebar. Have a great weekend!
Below are some images, courtesy of Unsplash.com, that display the world of Subject A36. I love it when I come across a picture that completely encompasses the setting as I imagined it for so long in my mind. I try to collect them before and during the writing process to inspire me.
Starting in the upper left hand corner and moving clockwise, the first picture represents a long hallway in one of the many harvest centers the Insurgents infiltrate to rescue hostages taken against their will by Colony soldiers. Without the Insurgents, these hostages would die a painful death when coveted genes are stripped from their body.
The next image is the abandoned warehouse that serves as the home for this particular sector of Insurgents. Staying hidden from The Colony is crucial. Fortunately, one of the Insurgents is a tech genius who’s come up with a way to evade radar detection. It’s not much to look at, but for them, it’s home.
Just from the description, you know that scientific labs play an important part in this story. For some characters, it’s a bigger part of their life than they’d ever imagined.
The bottom left image represents my main charater, Asher, and his team made up of his girlfriend Brynn, Oz, and Paige. Rescuing hostages and battling Colony soldiers is a deadly business, and the team members trust each other with their lives.
Hope you enjoyed a peek into the world of Subject A36. Next week I’ll introduce you to some of the characters. Amazon now has both the ebook and paperback preorders linked HERE.
If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?
Residents of the Colony would. And do.
Only the Insurgents can stop them.
Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.
He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.
Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.
Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.
Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is now available in book form (Kindle and paperback). If you think you’re too old for a tale about faeries, it also has a dark side. For those who read the serial version at Teagan’s Books (blog), she added a little something to the ending that you haven’t seen.
Here’s Teagan to tell you a little about the story.
Teri, thanks so much for hosting the launch of Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam. It is a tale of faeries written for whimsical grownups, but suitable for children ages 8 and up.
In 2017, readers of my blog,Teagan’s Books, named many of the fairies (or faeries, as I prefer to call them) — or they let me make up names in their honor. The characters are not based on the real people. They are just a way for me to recognize the people who followed Thistledown. Like Teri, many people used my “fairy name key” based on their initial and month of birth. So, I want to introduce “Fleur Thistle” to your readers.
Fairy by CE Brock, Wikipedia
In writing this story, I thought about how ordinary things might be different for faeries. I created their unique and whimsical means of communicating. One of those was the Thistledown Daily Trumpet. It’s a newspaper and Fleur Thistle is a young reporter. She has long dark purple hair, and wears it in a braid. Fluer’s magic helps her “dig up” information.
Here’s the Book Blurb
Thistledown ― Midsummer Bedlam, by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is a wildly whimsical tale of faeries. It was originally written for a grownup audience, but it is suitable for children ages eight and over.
Thistledown is a world of color and light. It has faeries, hummingbirds, and ancient books of magic. Bedlam Thunder is a misfit faery who is afraid of heights. She is also a seer who has terrible visions of a parallel world devoid of color and brightness. The hate and darkness of that colorless world is seeping into Thistledown. Will Bedlam and her friends be able to save their home?
Thistledown ― Midsummer Bedlam, with its radiant creatures and faeries will lift your imagination to new heights.
Universal Purchase Links
These links should work to redirect you, no matter what country.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.
Thanks to everyone who entered the ARC giveaway and added Subject A36 on Goodreads! I recognized many of the holiday movies listed in the comments, but some I wasn’t familiar with and, as a bonus, I now have several new Christmas movies to check out.
I counted all the entries across my website, three Facebook pages, Instagram, and Twitter, and then used Random.org to generate a number. And the winner is:
DANIELLE HAMMELEF
Danielle, please send your info to tpolen6@gmail.com and I’ll get your ARC in the mail. Congratulations!
Subject A36 won’t be officially released until February 13th, 2020, but this is your chance to win an ARC before publication!
It’s not hard to enter. All you need to do is:
1. Tell me your favorite holiday movie (any holiday) in the comments below.
2. Add Subject A36 to your Goodreads list HERE.
Entries are open until midnight Wednesday, December 11th, and the winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday, December 13th. The giveaway will also run on my Facebook page and Instagram @tpolen6. Good luck!
If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?
Residents of the Colony would. And do.
Only the Insurgents can stop them.
Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.
He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.
Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.
Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.
