Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The scoop on Tunnel Vision

Hi all!!

Since I've gotten a couple requests for more information on TUNNEL VISION, I thought it might be good to put the info in one place. Easily accessible and complete.

Weird concept, I know. But sometimes I get these crazy brain flashes, and...here you go.

TUNNEL VISION FACTOIDS:

The Story, short version: 
A teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling—he can sense where anyone in the world is (and what they’re seeing) by holding something they own—comes under the uncomfortable attention of the U.S. government, and suddenly has to balance normal life with psychic-spy life.

The Story, long version: 
Jake Lukin just turned 18. He's decent at tennis and Halo, and waiting to hear on his app to Stanford. He's also being followed by a creep with a gun, and there's a DARPA agent waiting in his bedroom.

His secret is blown.

When Jake holds a personal object, like a pet rock or a ring, he has the ability to "tunnel" into the owner. He can sense where they are, like a human GPS, and can see, hear, and feel what they do. It's an ability the government would do anything to possess: a perfect surveillance unit who could locate fugitives, spies, or terrorists with a single touch.

If he doesn't agree to help the government, his mother and sister may be in danger. Suddenly Jake's juggling high school, tennis tryouts, flirting with Rachel Watkins, and work as a government asset, complete with 24-hour bodyguards.

Forced to lie to his friends and family, and then to choose whether to give up everything for their safety, Jake hopes the good he's doing—finding kidnap victims and hostages, and tracking down terrorists—is worth it. But he starts to suspect the good guys may not be so good after all. With Rachel's help, Jake has to try to escape both good guys and bad guys and find a way to live his own life instead of tunneling through others.

Who's Publishing It:
Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press. My editor is the fantastic and super-cool Brendan Deneen.

When's It Coming Already?
Currently scheduled for early 2015! I'm part of the Fearless Fifteeners debut author group. Yes, we are (mostly) fearless. Especially about deadlines and juggling books.

Who's the Audience?
Um, ANYONE WHO LIKES TO READ. It's listed as a YA thriller, but I'm going with that. It's got spy stuff and car chases and guns in a cemetery and video games, but also Rachel-who-will-not-be-left-out, and Jake's disturbingly smart little sister Myka, and Liesel Miller, who frankly kind of scares me.

Who Is Your Agent?
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the amazingly patient and persistent Kate Schafer Testerman of ktliterary. TUNNEL VISION is also represented for film/tv rights by Jon Cassir of Creative Artists Agency. 

What else would you like to know? Let me know in the comments if I left out any burning questions!