In 2067 the asteroid Jurbay severs the continent, amputating 22 western states and submerging them into the Pacific Ocean in the course of a day. Sixteen years later, caught in the 2083 post-apocalyptic world, Avery DeTornada, the 22 year old daughter of great leaders, struggles to step into leadership herself and release her community from the domination of The Third. Avery and her comrades Shaw, McGinty and Pasha operate undercover, working in the city of Reichel within the oppressive government of The Third. Their undercover status allows them to work quietly, developing covert strategies to assimilate information and pass it on to the others in The 28 United rebellion. Avery and her team have no idea how many of those loyal to the 28 United there are, and without that information it is impossible to move on to the next step of opposing The Third. In a dystopian society The Third successfully obtains the allegiance of its citizens by removing their memories of family and home, creating a need for misplaced devotion. The Third suspects there may be those inside their ranks that believe in an alternative government based on the outdated workings of democracy. They acknowledge the only way to root out the rebels is to place GEBs (genetically engineered beings) among the workers to uncover those disloyal. The Third secretly replaces chosen citizens with GEBs who collect information and report back to The Third. Avery discovers two of her own have been replaced, and by purposely getting herself arrested she is able to find and free Shaw and Pasha who join up with her and McGinty. Once The Third discovers the rebels have escaped they become the hunted and flee for Red Grove, the command center of The 28 United. Along the way they collect a ragtag army of dump pickers, library boys and minstrels, coming face to face with the creatures of the dump, the brainswappers of the forest and the effects of the 14 Deadlies. Avery meets Raben, a leader among the dump pickers. Through their intense escape, the danger of rebellion and the growth of The 28 United Raben and Avery find a love for each other, but Avery struggles with letting go of her longtime friend, McGinty and reconciling her feelings for him that have always bordered on more than friendship. Once they arrive at Red Grove Avery DeTornada says, "If only we knew how many loyal ones we are dealing with. Is it a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? With a hundred we are only trying to hide, avoid The Third and maybe convince them that we are no threat. With a thousand we might attempt planting a few more subterraneans inside The Third. But with ten thousand we form an army. With ten thousand we go to war. We have to get a count-have a roll call." Pasha discovers how to send a secret message to The 28 United rebels and hundreds show up at Red Grove. After being compromised by GEBs, Avery realizes she must send the loyal ones up to the New Coastline to colonize and train for battle while she, McGinty, Shaw and Pasha return once more inside The Third, this time undercover in the night patrol, collecting valuable information for an offensive plan. After capturing Degnan, a scientist and doctor on the outs with The Third, Avery and the others join in an unholy alliance with Degnan, living by day in his hidden tunnel adjoining the GEB lab. They discover sinkholes sucking down sections of the city. There are secrets in the caverns of the History Labyrinth deep underground. Will Avery and her friends be able to escape The Third before they are discovered? With The Third on the verge of recognizing the rebels in their midst and Avery getting closer to the discovery of The Third's battle plans, an army of four inside The Third isn't enough. Who will stand with Avery DeTornada against The Third in hopes of restoring balance to the world, allowing The 28 United to rule with justice and eliminating the tyranny of The Third?
About the Author: Gwen Mansfield: Hunting down the stories that will haunt you forever.
Gwen is the author of the dystopian, soft sci-fi, Roll Call Trilogy, book #1 Roll Call, book #2 Inside The Third, and book #3 Reluctant Warriors (out in fall of 2018)
Regarding writing, Gwen says, "Hunt: to pursue with intent to capture. It begins with the story hunting me. I ignore it. I don't like it. I resist it. I try to forget it. Then I relinquish. I peek around the corner to see if this story is legit or a figment trying to distract me. When I stare it in the face, I see the taunting eyes prompting me to follow-catch this story if I can. Then the roles reverse. I become the hunter"
With a BA degree from Seattle Pacific University in Theatre, MA from Central Washington University in Theatre Production, and MFA from University of New Orleans in Creative Writing, Gwen's writing is driven by a dramatic eye, quippy dialogue, and a passion for quirky, strong characters. She is also the author of the historical fiction Experiment Station Road, the musical Resistance! (based on the book Tales of the Resistance by David and Karen Mains), and the stage plays: Grace Diner, Experiment Station Road-Stories from the Journey, The Luggage of Ellis, and You've Got 90 Seconds.
Gwen loves words and weaving them into a compelling story of urgency and relevance, challenging her to release her passion on the page.
She is driven to write and says, "Haunt: to appear habitually, stay around, persist. To say I'm pursued by the story-understatement. I hear the whisper when I'm driving, when I'm running, when sleep calls and I can't come. The day I turn on my computer and write the first word-that is the day I join hands with the story. It no longer haunts me-rather a journey begins where together, we haunt you."
Gwen lives in the forests of the Northwest with her husband, and two daughters. She enjoys the unending running trails and teaching university classes in film appreciation, creative writing, speech, and theatre.
