One of the basic principles of blogging is to not be too self-promotional – say, promote yourself 1 out of every 10 entries. This webpage is hosted on “www.mikeschlossbergauthor.com” so it’s probably no surprise for you to hear that I’ve done this, in part, to help promote my book, Redemption.
That being said, I, err…forgot to promote the book on the blog. My bad.
For those of you who are unaware, I wrote a book! Redemption is a Young Adult, Mental Health, Science Fiction tale on depression, anxiety and saving the world:
Twenty young people wake aboard the spaceship Redemption with no memory how they got there.
Asher Maddox went to sleep a college dropout with clinical depression and anxiety. He wakes one hundred sixty years in the future to assume the role as captain aboard a spaceship he knows nothing about, with a crew as in the dark as he is.
Yanked from their everyday lives, the crew learns that Earth has been ravaged by the Spades virus – a deadly disease planted by aliens. They are tasked with obtaining the vaccine that will save humanity, while forced to hide from an unidentified, but highly advanced enemy.
Half a galaxy away from Earth, the crew sets out to complete the quest against impossible odds. As the enemy draws closer, they learn to run the ship despite their own flaws and rivalries. But they have another enemy . . . time. And it’s running out.
If you’re interested, go here for ordering info (including how to order a copy direct from me), or here to order off Amazon. You can also download the first chapter, absolutely free.
The book came out a year ago, so, let me give an update about what’s next!
The Trilogy
It is the Spades Trilogy, after all, so you may be wondering, where is Book Two?
Here’s the good news: It is actually written. So, yay! My publisher currently has it, and I’m hoping it will enter the editing process in the near future. It required some rewrites to make it a better product, so that slowed things down a bit, but appropriately so: I’d rather get something to you that’s really good than something that’s been done really quick.
I’m not sharing the title yet, but I will, I promise. I’ll say this: The original title was Reclamation. That got changed because it just sounded weird and didn’t work with the theme of the book. Also, my wife made fun of me, saying it wasn’t a real name.
When will it be published? That one I don’t have an answer for. It depends on how long the editing process takes. My guess – and this is just a guess – is at least a year.
And, for the record, Book Three is also written, and I should finish my edits on it within a month or so. So, yes, I know how the story ends. But that one is nowhere near ready for publication.
The writing process is a long one. The first book took four years, start to finish – although that was because I also had to get a book proposal ready and find a publisher. Hopefully 2 & 3 won’t be as long.
Writing about depression, anxiety, Spades, Ash, Alexis & the rest of the crew of the Redemption has been one of the more joyful experiences I’ve had professionally. I love what the book evolved into. It has given me a chance to attack mental illness in a completely new arena, and I have loved every second of it. And I can’t wait for the rest of the story to get share with the world.
Mike Schlossberg - Author 