With the passing of the Patriot Act in what seems a lifetime ago, I think many Americans thought everything would be okay. However, Linda Hawley presents a different spin on the invasion of government into the private sector. What if the government was monitoring us via microchip inserted in our driver's licenses? What if the government was listening to every word we said at every time? Ms.Hawley has taken that line of thought one step further with the first book in her series, Dreams Unleashed. I am very please to announce that the lovely Linda Hawley is here to share a little more about her spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat thriller, the first in her series The Prophecies.
Linda: I was
an executive on a plane flying from Dallas to Seattle when, upon landing, the
plane nearly crashed. (I have flown all
over the world in all kinds of weather, and it was the very worst experience on
a plane that I'd had.) In the airport
later, I wrote down the experience while it was fresh in my mind, amazed that I
was alive. I then emailed it to my
assistant. When I got back in my office the next day, my assistant said, "That
was incredible; you should write a book."
I was shocked by his words, but let them marinate in my mind. Not long after, Ann Torgeson (my protagonist)
was born. The final chapter in Dreams Unleashed (book 1 of The
Prophecies) was inspired by my experience.
Collette: That’s some scary stuff. What is your
writing process?
Linda: I'm a
night writer. Some of my best scenes I
wrote at one in the morning. I pretty
much write every day. I usually know the
first and last chapter of every book, and often write them first. For the rest of the novel, I write down 12
phrases of milestones in the story, and then write to them chronologically. I never get more detailed than that, because
I need to keep it open to activate my creative juices. For the most part, I fly off the seat of my
pants when writing stories.
Collette: Do you write full-time
now?
Linda:
Yes
Collette: Were you inspired by someone/something to
write the genre you’re writing in?
Linda:
Dystopian thrillers are what I love; both in books and movies. Nothing could be
more exciting for me.
Collette: How long have you been working on the
series?
Linda: I
started Dreams Unleashed (book one) three
years ago, but in March 2011, I discarded all but 1/8 of the book, and rewrote
it; it was published two months later. I
wrote Guardian of Time (book two) in three
months; it was published Oct 2011. I am
writing book three now; it's the final book in the series. I'm comfortable writing three novels per
year.
Collette: Can you describe your research into your
subject?
Linda: I'm a
news junky; I read about five news sources every day. I understand what's going on in the
world. I look for trends of discord to
use in my dystopian thrillers. I
research like crazy, because most of the technology, locations, and historical
information are real. In The Prophecies,
the fiction includes the characters and the things that they do. However, Remote Viewing, Project Stargate,
RFID tracking, and many other things are real--all of them discovered in my
research.
Collette: Are any of your characters based on
real-life friends or acquaintances?
Linda: All
except Chow Lai, and a couple of new characters in Guardian of Time.
Collette: Do you ever incorporate yourself into
your characters?
Linda: Ann's
character includes the best parts of me.
Collette: That’s pretty cool, Linda
J.
Moving on to Dreams Unleashed. Here’s the blurb for
the story:
Book
1, The Prophecies, A Dystopian Thriller Series
It’s the near future, and society is government controlled. Technology tracks everyone, and personal privacy does not exist. The hope for freedom lies in the operations of an underground organization, GOG, which fights against worldwide oppression. Their most powerful weapon is Ann Torgeson, a paranormally-gifted operative. When her powers release the seal of The Prophecies, she becomes a weapon against the government, which relentlessly pursues her.
It’s the near future, and society is government controlled. Technology tracks everyone, and personal privacy does not exist. The hope for freedom lies in the operations of an underground organization, GOG, which fights against worldwide oppression. Their most powerful weapon is Ann Torgeson, a paranormally-gifted operative. When her powers release the seal of The Prophecies, she becomes a weapon against the government, which relentlessly pursues her.
Question
everything is the theme of Dreams
Unleashed.
Collette: Your series is a mixture of adventure and
intrigue, yet Ann still manages to remain a ‘woman’. She’s a female Jason Bourne
but also a mother who loves her daughter and a wife who loves her husband. Can
you tell us how you managed to balance her tough and soft
sides?
Linda: I
think women are amazing--smart, intuitive, joyful, spiritual, thoughtful, aware,
loyal, sensual, funny, etc. In movies,
however, women are rarely multidimensional, especially with their
sensuality. I wanted to create a
powerful, feminine woman who did not wear high heels, stockings, or a little
black dress, but who was not a tomboy. I
wanted her to be a thinking woman who considered the state of the world, and for
her to be a warrior who was willing to risk her own life to fight for what she
knows to be right. With all this
intensity, I softened her character by making her laugh at her boyfriend's
jokes, and to be enticed by compliments from her
boss.
Collette: Yes, she is a multi-dimensional
character, for sure. One of my favorite things about Ann is that she’s a tough
and capable character with a strong sense of what is right. Can you tell us a
little about Ann’s message?
Linda: Ann's
message is to open your eyes and look around.
Take something mentioned in one of the books, and Google it to find out
what's happening in your own country. You're likely to be surprised. In The Prophecies, I'm not trying to scare
you, but it's likely that I will do just that if you consider that most of the
technologies in the book are real--right now.
Collette: What's the biggest surprise readers can
expect from reading this series?
Linda:
Adventure. Ann travels all over the
globe, and I've described these adventures visually, so the reader can see it in
their mind's eye. It's an armchair
traveler's delight.
Collette: Without giving away too much of your
story, can you tell us what’s in the works for Ann in later installments of The
Prophecies Series?
Linda: I can't answer this one very well [without
giving too much away], but I'll give you a little teaser. The final book in The
Prophecies series (yet untitled) will answer all of the open questions from Dreams Unleashed and Guardian of Time (books 1 and 2). The ending is quite spectacular; I suspect
readers will be thrilled.
Collette: Do you have plans to continue writing
following Ann’s final chapter? If so, what will your future projects
entail?
Linda: I have
a stand-alone novel I'm writing. My dad's father (my grandfather) died a hero in
a notorious battle in Germany right before the end of WWII. The first scene in
the novel is the final battle scene, and as he's dying, his life flashes before
his eyes. Since it's historical fiction,
I'm working hard to present a visual story (like all my writing). It's called 'An American Orphan.' It's a surprise for my dad. I expect to be finished in March
2012.
Collette: Ok, so make sure you don’t tell him we’ve
posted this interview - haha. J Where can we find you
online?
Book
Trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctR4NDgwSSc&feature=youtu.beAuthor Website: http://www.lindahawley.com/
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/ThePropheciesSeries
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Unleashed-2nd-Prophecies-ebook/dp/B005YIQYIU/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319555407&sr=1-2
Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005YIQYIU
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/98527
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreams2-unleashed-linda-hawley/1106955115?ean=2940013306615&itm=2&usri=linda%252bhawley
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3696178
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12973680-dreams-unleashed-2nd-ed
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/books/23896326/Dreams-Unleashed-(The-Prophecies)
LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/work/book/79452349
Collette:
What formats are your books available in?
Linda: All eBook formats and of course Print.
Collette: Thank you so much, Linda! I wish you all
the best with your writing projects!
I have read and reviewed Dreams Unleashed, and I have to say that
Linda is right. It is an eye-opening experience, much in the same way as Will
Smith’s 1998 movie, Enemy of the
State, startled many of us.
With
the passing of the Patriot Act in what seems a lifetime ago, I think many
Americans thought everything would be okay. However, Linda Hawley presents a
different spin on the invasion of government into the private sector. What if
the government was monitoring us via microchip inserted in our driver's
licenses? What if the government was listening to every word we said at every
time? Ms.Hawley has taken that line of thought one step further with the first
book in her series, Dreams Unleashed. In this tale, Ann is a normal every day
woman with special powers that lives in the not too distant future. She resents
the government spying on her and is secretly a member of the GOG, an
anti-government rebellion group in her secret life, while maintaining an average
daily existence as a technical writer in her public one. Our classy heroine also
has another secret, and that is that her dreams are potent and powerful and
could be used as a government weapon. So there is where the drama begins...
In this first installment we meet Ann: woman, widow, mother of a college student, and hard-worker with a mysterious past. That prior life consists of work in the CIA, where she has been taught remote viewing. With that career long over, she tries to fit into a normal existence, fending off her flirty boss, struggling with the decision to begin an office romance, and making sure her home is safe from government spies. Suddenly she begins having dreams again, and the next thing she knows the government is after her. By the end of Book 1, we are anxiously gripping our seats wondering what is going to happen next. Will she meet the GOG parents? Will the FBI really catch her? Most importantly - is she going to be used as a weapon?
This story flashes back from the past, e.g. 2011 to the present 2015, to fill in the gaps of Ann's existence and give credence to her current plight. In a world that is truly a possible future, Ms. Hawley adds a taste of the paranormal into a frightening social concern. A woman with powerful dreams that leaves the reader unsure who really is trustworthy and who is not, you will eagerly turn each page to find the answers. This is a suspense-filled journey into our potential future that leaves you hanging for more and eagerly awaiting book two.
In this first installment we meet Ann: woman, widow, mother of a college student, and hard-worker with a mysterious past. That prior life consists of work in the CIA, where she has been taught remote viewing. With that career long over, she tries to fit into a normal existence, fending off her flirty boss, struggling with the decision to begin an office romance, and making sure her home is safe from government spies. Suddenly she begins having dreams again, and the next thing she knows the government is after her. By the end of Book 1, we are anxiously gripping our seats wondering what is going to happen next. Will she meet the GOG parents? Will the FBI really catch her? Most importantly - is she going to be used as a weapon?
This story flashes back from the past, e.g. 2011 to the present 2015, to fill in the gaps of Ann's existence and give credence to her current plight. In a world that is truly a possible future, Ms. Hawley adds a taste of the paranormal into a frightening social concern. A woman with powerful dreams that leaves the reader unsure who really is trustworthy and who is not, you will eagerly turn each page to find the answers. This is a suspense-filled journey into our potential future that leaves you hanging for more and eagerly awaiting book two.
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