Tag Archives: Blaine Colton

Book Party Anyone?

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Everyone likes a good party, and what better kind of party than one to celebrate a newly released book! Maybe that’s not everyone’s idea of fun. Some might even thing book launches can be a little dull, but I think it’s one of the best kinds of parties! So, last weekend a bunch of people gathered for frivolity and fun to officially launch Immortal Mistake and the re-release of Integrate (2nd Edn).

Those who have read Immortal Mistake will understand the significance of the Jelly Belly theme—and those who don’t should grab a copy and get reading, lol. 😉 There were temporary glow-in-the-dark spider tattoos to claim and games that included “find your word match”, model making, graffiti art, and more.

Themes from the book were segues for each aspect of the party, while reviews and readings (more on that later) set the tone. One activity even sparked a spontaneous Conga line (of two … okay, that one didn’t quite take off). All up, it was a great afternoon that left me feeling grateful for those who made it such a special occasion.

I’ll finish with a partial quote from an online review of the novel, with a link to the full review. 😊❤️

Rennie Parker has not had an easy life …

The story draws you in and you will find yourself willing Rennie to use all his street and computer smarts to save his own life, and that of his family …

This is a full-on, engrossing science fiction story, set in a realistic scenario, with themes of family violence, substance abuse, youth crime, mind control, complex bioethics including violence, as well as challenging family relationships, self-acceptance and self-worth.

Link to full review

Immortal Mistake Launch Day!

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It’s been a while coming, but finally it’s launch day for my new novel Immortal Mistake …😊

A DANGEROUS WEB OF ACCELERATED CLONING AND MIS-IDENTITY

When teenager Rennard (Rennie) Parker discovers a high-tech vault buried in his backyard, a bionic stranger pulls him into a world of forced experimentation that erases 24 hours of memories. Along with his half-brother, Blaine Colton, Rennie becomes embroiled in a complex cloning and child trafficking nightmare, one where feelings and memories can be extracted like digital files and sentience, consciousness and knowledge can be implanted.

Immortal Mistake provides an amazing balance of science fiction with a story of a boy, a casualty of family abuse and neglect, child safety services, foster homes and searching for a place to belong, in a story that is ultimately hopeful. This gritty, science-fiction thriller set in Brisbane, Australia, propels Rennie on a high octane rollercoaster ride of his life where the non-stop thrills are accompanied by plenty of spills as he searches for identity, belonging, love and his place in a confusing world that couldn’t be more complicated.

Coinciding with the release of child trafficking feature movie Sound of Freedom and mounting community concern about youth crime in Australia, the release of this story couldn’t have been timelier. An edge of your seat page-turner available from all good booksellers or online from wombatrhiza.com.au.

An immortal quest. An unreachable memory. An impossible choice.

And then there was …

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ActivatemedOn November 1, ‘Activate’ final book in the Blaine Colton young adult techno-crime thriller trilogy, was released. Yay!!!! Celebration time for sure. But a thought has been edging into my mind that once the buzz of launches, signings and visits settles, I’ll be writing … Well, what will I be writing?!

Yes, I do have works in progress. I also have a quandary.

Somehow, after completing the trilogy, one of the characters in ‘Activate’ got a life all their own. So I’ve found myself halfway through a spin off story. But there’s also a story that’s been on the backburner for … well … a while. Originally penned for the general adult fiction market, I’m rewriting it as a YA. It really does seem to be working, but it’s also a challenging project. Meaning, it will take time to get it right.

Perhaps I need to admit to myself that there might be a teensy bit of laziness factoring into that equation. You see, project ‘old-made-new’ has historical elements I’ll have to squish back into whatever grey matter I have remaining in the crevices of my head. You know what that means? Lots of research i.e. lots of extra work. And well, the speculative SciFi angle the spin off is taking, doesn’t have quite so many restrictions.

My brain says something new. (Hang, my publisher probably does too. LOL.) But those characters have a way of sneaking into your mind and pulling on your heart strings.

There’s one group I haven’t asked yet. You! 🙂

What would you do? More of the same or something different. Or would you do the crazy juggle I used to, of writing multiple novels at once? Hit me with your thoughts! It would be great to hear your angle.

(Dis)Ability Action Week QLD

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Del signingSaturday I received copies of my new novel Activate hot off the press and had the pleasure of sharing it with attendees at the Omega Writers Book Fair 2016. Technically its release date is Nov 1, 2016, but with next week (Sept 11-17) being Disability Action Week 2016 in Queensland, I can’t think of more perfect timing.

You see, Blaine Colton, the hero of the Integrate trilogy, is a young man acutely aware of the stigma and challenges disability can represent. Having survived mitochondrial disease and received a gene-modifying cure, he has been given a second chance. But things aren’t perfect for the teenager, and he’s never forgotten where he’s come from – nor where he could very well end up. (But you’ll have to read the books to find out more … 😉 )

The motto of Disability Action Week celebrations is: ‘Inclusion: It’s a game changer’. And I love it. In fact, I’d love to apply it in every circumstance. I’ve seen how easily we (and I include myself in this) can disregard others because they don’t fit. Whether this be determined by a ‘click’ group, trends, or someone who simply doesn’t meet some predetermined criteria for abilities on the sports field or whatever activity is on the table, people get left out. Add what can be perceived as limitations, and it can be all too easy to discard people from our plans.

No one likes being excluded.

ActivatemedAs a parent I often find myself saying, ‘Ensure you’re being inclusive.’ In reality this has to be a purposeful decision and is largely influenced by the type of disability present. For example, if someone is mobility impaired, accessibility to venues, terrain and physical requirements of an event or activity need to be well considered. Some disabilities are not obvious, and might involve environmental or emotional triggers. Often a lot of little things are overlooked by well meaning people for sheer lack of awareness. (As I have done myself, at times.)

Many people I know living with a disability are fiercely independent and very capable. When it comes to solutions, they are brilliant for nutting things out. By communicating and working with people, instead of assuming the limitations of their capacity, inclusion becomes a way of thinking and truly can ‘change the game’.