THE SEVENTEEN

Hart Johnson author of The Seventeen

from the  IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

Is here to discuss the background of her story!

Hi Hart, tell us how you arrived at The Seventeen?

The Seventeen is a count. Pharmagna is a pharmaceutical giant who had a pool of hundreds of (mostly homeless) people on whom they tested various medications. There are seventeen of them left, all riddled with side effects of the drugs they've tested. Cecily Daiker, a researcher for Pharmagna, is responsible for their day-to-day welfare, and for managing them during trials. The title is also a nod to Justin Cronin. In The Passage there is a group of twelve death row inmates who are subject to a drug trial meant to make them immortal (and it works too well—the series is a sort of sci fi version of a vampire story) but he calls them The Twelve (that is the extent of the story similarities, but there you have it).

A sound plan! Here's Hart's blurb:

PARALLELS: FELIX WAS HERE!

THE SEVENTEEN

Cecily Daiker is keeper of the Seventeen--the survivors Pharmagna houses after a decade of drug trials which were unregulated, subjects unprotected and un-cared-for.

Until Cecily.

But now a drug is being proposed to undo the wrongs of past drugs, Within limits, of course. And Cecily is assigned to oversee the trial. What nobody says is that the newly tested drug may have unanticipated consequences. Not just for the Seventeen, but for everybody. And it is Cecily's job to contain the danger.

***

Sounds frightening, especially as I'm testing a new drug. Hmm...

So, tell us Hart, what other genres do you normally write?

Mostly mystery and suspense. Some adult, some YA. Some of the YA has a light dose of paranormal (ghosts or visions—stuff I believe some people really do experience). And the genre I seem to be most in love with of late is near-term dystopia... the world falling apart. I love the extremes that extreme circumstances can bring out in people. What I've published to date is a cozy mystery series under the pen name Alyse Carlson and a flu apocalypse trilogy as me.

Hart Johnson is a social scientist by day, and plots murder and the apocalypse when the sun goes down. She has published a flu conspiracy trilogy (A Shot in the Light) and a cozy mystery series under the name Alyse Carlson. She has hopes to eventually support herself writing or take over the world, whichever works out first.

If you'd like to learn anything more, I can be found at the following places:

Blog: Confessions of a Watery Tart 

Facebook 

Goodreads 

Twitter 

Amazon 

Thanks, Hart!

I think you've hit the nail on the head - 

the world is falling apart!

Just using the upcoming election as an example

of  possible

stories for near-term dystopia stories are countless.

What do you think folks?

Parallels is Coming May 3, 2016

Preorder HERE