I aimed for young adult writing with my new release, "Kill Zone", but I did so after-the-fact. The book was already written when I realized, with just a few modifications, I could remove offensive language and unnecessary explicit scenes and have an excellent story suitable for young people. The book is filled with science fact and new theories, enough to make people think, so it seemed a natural work to offer the young. Some might consider the subject matter, terrorism, to be at the fringe for young adults, but in today's world terrorism is a fact of life and hiding it won't change a thing. Against the backdrop of terrorism, there are also interrelated plots of the development of a solution to the oil crisis and a love story that withstands the test of time and separation. There is also avarice–a quest for Mayan gold and the related exploration of the massive underwater caverns in Yucatan, Mexico.
"Kill Zone" was my second young adult book, although it is the first of a related pair of contemporary fiction novels. While "Kill Zone" presents one possible result of unrestrained biological terrorism, its sequel deals with the recovery from an environmental disaster of unthinkable proportions–the re-population of earth. In both novels, the heroes are young females. They are strong, witty and tenacious. Both face an uncertain future, and both are brought close to the love of their life by the dangerous situations they face and the way they handle them.
"Kill Zone" Blurb: Dr. Marcy Whites overcomes enormous genetic engineering obstacles to resurrect a prehistoric bacterium, V5, capable of creating renewable oil, and reclaims the love of her life in the process. After V5 is designated a national resource, Marcy’s team is sequestered in Cheyenne Mountain, but bio-terrorism quickly overshadows her successes. People die by the millions when genetically-engineered beta-hemolytic streptococcus (BHS) is inadvertently released in Mecca, a pathogen specifically developed for bio-terrorism. Carried by fanatical Ambulatory Infectious Agents seeking martyrdom, the flesh-eating disease spreads like wildfire with a 100% kill rate, while Predictive Antiviral Project (PAP) scientists in Cheyenne Mountain race to develop a vaccine to counter it. Out of desperation, countries agree to sanitize the infectious outer perimeter of the Kill Zone with nuclear weapons, even as Dr. Whites joins the PAP team to adapt V5 as a BHS antidote. Their deadline passes, and Operation Sanitize releases mankind’s most powerful weapons against its smallest enemy. Nuclear detonations temporarily halt expansion of the Kill Zone, but Dr. Whites continues antidote refinement, knowing BHS-laden dust will eventually settle. Kill Zones soon crop up worldwide, the entire world is inoculated with V5, and energy independence is achieved; however, one year later, birth rates begin declining. Marcy and other scientists locked inside Cheyenne Mountain gird for an extended stay – at least until the anomaly can be fully explained.
"Aftermath Horizon" suggests a reason Adam and Eve’s children find mates in the biblical book of Genesis. The novel takes readers far into the future by investigating deep into the past.
"Aftermath Horizon" Blurb: In a world struggling to recover from biological warfare, Cultural Anthropologists, Beth Gooding and Professor James, work to resurrect the technology of the past without the brutality of the past. They lead austere lives typical of the early 1800’s frontier, until they become explorers in Old World Syria – where they investigate further back in time than anyone ever dreamed, and discover they can move their society further forward than anyone ever imagined. David and Beth endure many brushes with death, but with each experience their love grows stronger, and they come to realize life without the other wouldn’t be living at all.
Thanks for reading,
James L. Hatch
http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com/
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
Although my Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. are in Chemistry and Meteorology, I worked as a scientist and system/software engineer before retiring a third time, and then turned to writing. Extensive travel, from Thule, Greenland to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – and to dozens of countries in between – provide the real-life experiences I incorporates into everything I write.
I enjoy boating, kayaking, skiing, traveling, hiking, tending nine grandchildren (no more than two at a time), and ballroom dancing, but my first love is writing. I have completed eight novels and one short story, and intend to continue writing in the Sci-Fi and Paranormal Comedy genres. I have contracts with xoxopublishing.com, Solstice Publishing and Eternal Press.
Wow, sounds a bit serious! Thank you for sharing.
Though am seriously beginning to dislike the word 'terrorism' especially because of its double-faced use by people for their own interests and starting to avoid stories which are based on this premise……………………….
The blurb of your book sounds like a really really good read and different from what we are getting to read mostly nowadays.. plus the fact, just imagining this actually happening (which is plausible considering the current world situation) makes it scary and all the more thrilling read.. I would love to get my hands on Kill Zone.. 🙂
These both sound really really good – quite different from what's out there currently. I might just have to check these out!
Intriguing, James! Thank you for sharing a bit about these stories!
Hi ELF: Thank you for stopping by. Sorry for the delayed response (wife made me take her to sales yesterday afternoon). Yes, Kill Zone is serious. It is also packed with current science and a few theories that might actually turn out to be true relative to oil creation. It was fun to research to be sure. Aftermath Horizon, on the other hand, is more of a YA romance/adventure novel. It is a fun read with an uplifting ending. My daughter loved it. The first five chapters of Aftermath Horizon are summarized in a short story called The Final Experiment. Send me an email at jhatch6@hot.rr.com, and I'll send the short story to you just for stopping by. Thanks. James
Hi Jeriha: First, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by — thank you. Second, I appologize for the delayed response. My wife required my presence on a Labor Day shopping trip yesterday afternoon.
Yes, I agree about the terrorism word. However, I began writing Kill Zone the day after 9/11/01. I was angry and hurt, like all other Americans, and the writing helped. Unfortunately, it took five years to wring out the anger, so the book was not published right away. I tried to put some of the reasons for the hatred in the book, as well as one potential outcome. I hope it never comes to that. There is also a love story that weaves through the book, but that isn't the main focus. When I finished Kill Zone, I wrote Aftermath Horizon. That one is an uplifting read with a surprise ending. It is a YA romance/adventure. I summarized the first five chapters of Aftermath Horizon into an award-winning short story called The Final Experiment. I'll be happy to send that to you for free, if you drop me an email asking for it. I'm at: jhatch6@hot.rr.com. Thanks again for stopping by! James
Hello AnnaRose: I would love to send you a summary of the first five chapters of Aftermath Horizon. The summary became an award-winning short story called The Final Experiment. If you send me an email asking for it, I'll return that to you. Just put The Final Experiment in the subject and send the email to jhatch6@hot.rr.com, and I'll send the short story to your return address.
Thank you for stopping by!
Sincerely, James L. Hatch
Hi fedora:
I appreciate the time you took to read the blog. You certainly do get around. I'm not sure everyone appreciates how much time it takes to read as many blogs as you do, but those of us who try to do the same are especially appreciative of your time when we see your name.
If you would like a copy of The Final Experiment (an abridgement of the first five chapters of Aftermath Horizon), please send me an email with "The Final Experiment" in the subject line. My email is jhatch6@hot.rr.com. I'll send the book back to the return address.
Thank you again for taking time to visit!
James L. Hatch