What is your book about?
Eternal Shadow is a science fiction novel which examines humanity and how they cope with a very different first contact scenario—and the existential crisis forced upon them resulting from it.
The story begins in 2014, when a signal of undeniable alien origin is detected over the surface of Pluto. Three days later the source of that signal—an extraterrestrial object of unimaginable size—destroys the dwarf planet along with Neptune and Uranus. Scientists around the world determine that it will take about ten years before this object reaches Earth. Our main characters—two SETI researchers and the CEO of a multinational corporation—find themselves as unlikely allies as untested technologies, political brinkmanship, and religious cults all factor into finding an answer to the biggest question in history: What, if anything, can be done to prevent Earth’s destruction?
What inspired you to write Eternal Shadow?
I feel this can be answered in two ways:
Growing up, I’ve always been an avid reader of science fiction and horror, with writers like Stephen King and Kim Stanley Robinson adorning the living room shelves in my parent’s home. I was likely a bit too young to read some of Stephen King’s works, but I read them anyway as my mother always encouraged me to read what I enjoyed. On a similar vein, I’m a huge fan of several sci-fi TV shows and movies from the Star Trek series and Contact to Sliders.
As for the writing of Eternal Shadow, the premise for the story came to me seemingly out of nowhere one evening in January 2017. What exactly triggered this moment I honestly couldn’t tell you (I’ve been trying to recall the exact details for years), but the end result of this moment was a fire in my mind and heart which swirled around this story plotline. The fire was so strong, the characters and story elements so vivid, that I knew this would be the story which would get me published.
What is your target audience for the book?
Eternal Shadow is primarily targeted at adult readers, though I’ve encountered readers (almost all avid sci-fi junkies like myself when I was a teen) of my book which were slightly younger during book readings.
What are your future goals/plans for the book?
This is the first of at least two books in a series of an undefined length. I made the deliberate decision to not cap all that’s introduced within Eternal Shadow by adding “trilogy” or “duology” on the cover—simply “Book One.” On that note, book #2 is presently in the works—and given how that will likely end, there will be plenty of meat to allow a third book down the line.
And something more about yourself.
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, I’ve always had a passion for writing. From a young age I’ve spun up several short stories and—during my high school years—wrote a fair amount of poetry. All of these creations never left my computer, never really considering the possibility of wanting to expose myself to the world like my favorite authors have. However, my need for creative expression took other turns in my young-adult years. Along with writing for both my high school and college newspapers, I also spent two years as a DJ in college with my own radio show, “Gamers’ Paradise.”
Today, I work full-time in the technology sector in San Francisco while also being a full-time father to a precocious five-year-old girl. Though writing is still a passion, it’s one that happens mostly at night and occasionally in the early-morning hours of any given day (“Sleeping is for the dead” is a common saying from my critique partner who always keeps me in check).
Some of my favorite authors are Robert J. Sawyer, Douglas Adams, Kim Stanley Robinson, Harry Turtledove, and Stephen King.
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