Every time a book is published, it’s a labor of love (and blood, and sweat, and tears, and–you get the idea), but in this case there are a few extra nerves to add to the twisty bundle because it’s the first story I’ve put out in the young adult category.
I did a lot of reading in YA before I wrote Failsafe to reference what’s out there and the debates as far as content. What are these debates? Well, young adult books have become somewhat more gory and, erm, more graphic when it comes to sex scenes. I’m not knocking either side of the argument but I will say that there should be some advisories in the description so such things don’t shock the crap out of unsuspecting parents encouraging their teen to read.
Failsafe does have a love story in it, something I included very intentionally. My main character, Sol, is disabled. Recently diagnosed with epilepsy, she struggles to come to terms with who she is while at the same time navigating through the dangers of her world and an ableist society. She’s a strong girl, but even strong girls doubt themselves when they frequently deal with messages of diminished worth because of their physical condition. The correlation between ability and desirability is, unfortunately, not a fictional issue, and it seems like stories with disabled characters rarely, if ever, include a romance.
Love story subplots are typical with young adult (hold your eye-rolling!), though whether or not you care about the relationship itself has a lot to do with pacing and building the bond between them. Don’t get me started on insta-love. Now, mutual admiration, trust, respect, someone you can be yourself with, someone who sees you for you–that’s hawt. I aimed high with the relationship in Failsafe and I’m really happy with the result.
For you parents out there, it’s a clean romance suitable for teens, no swearing (unless you want to count the occasional “Gears curse it!”), and a strong heroine out to save humanity.
I’m keeping the book at 99¢ until the end of the month. Pick up your copy on Amazon before the sale ends:)
There is only one rule: Never leave the settlement
Nobody remembers when human civilization fell to the living computer known as the Interspace. Trapped within its massive expanse, what remains of humanity struggles to survive. There are no maps to the outer grids, and drones patrol the network. Escape is impossible.
Except seventeen-year-old Sol can access the network’s secrets in her dreams. The information comes at a physical cost, but with food and medical shortages threatening her community, it’s a small price to pay for survival. The supply runs are also the best way to prove she can still contribute, especially after her recent epilepsy diagnosis took away the role she’d been training for.
When a grave mistake alerts the drones to her trespassing, Sol finds herself running for her life. She never expects to encounter Echo, a stranger who may hold the key to humanity’s freedom.
Together, Sol and Echo will attempt to reach the central core of the Interspace and shut down the system. To survive the journey, they will need to evade drones, signal towers, and a dangerous enemy known only as the Override. Even with Sol’s access to the network and Echo’s incredible abilities, they may still fail. The Interspace is always watching, and if they’re discovered, it will mean the final extermination of all mankind.
Available now on Amazon!
Alina Sayre began her literary career chewing on board books and has been in love with words ever since. Now she is the award-winning author of The Voyages of the Legend fantasy series as well as an educator, editor, and speaker. Her first novel, The Illuminator’s Gift, won a silver medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and was a finalist in the Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book competition and a semifinalist for the BookLife Prize in Fiction. All four Voyages of the Legend books have received 4- or 5-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite. When she’s not writing, Alina enjoys hiking, crazy socks, and reading under blankets. She does not enjoy algebra or wasabi. When she grows up, she would like to live in a castle with a large library.