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Book summary:
Sydney Harter has long awaited September 12th, 2033—her
eighteenth birthday. She can finally apply for guardianship of her sister, who
is her only family and entire world. She hopes they will be lawfully reunited,
but is prepared to defy authority and risk everything to escape the captivity
of Miles County so that they can be together.
Escaping will be difficult and dangerous. Citizens are bound
to their county by sophisticated chip implants that deliver shocks to those who
dare to cross the electric barrier. Sydney is very clever, but her trickery is
limited against the all-seeing eyes of technology. Even if they were to survive
the escape, disappearing into the forgotten forests and towns of the past seems
an impossible task.
What Sydney doesn't know is that she is the particular
interest of two opposing forces. With deceit, fear, and warfare surrounding
her—can she trust the party that aims to help with her fight against the other?
Can she open her heart to receive and return unexpected love? When her sister’s
life becomes jeopardized, Sydney will have to weigh a new love against the only
enduring love she has known. The cost could be deadly…
How will she choose?
Futuristic Technology
Do you ever find yourself laughing out loud at old movies
that were set in the future – a time period that has since arrived or will
shortly? I sure do!
It was
important to me while writing “Concealed in the Shadows” that I try to
carefully envision the technology of the future as not to be laughable. Eek!
This was especially important since the novel is set in the near future, 2033,
and even mentions the beginnings of chip implantation in the very near future –
2015!
Of
course, this required in-depth research about the capabilities of things like
chip implants and application of current trends in the uses and styling of
technological devices.
In
creating the story, I extended even small ways that we currently use technology
to connect with others and share our whereabouts and/or happenings. Location
services currently make it relatively easy for us to ‘check-in’. The chips in
the wrists of all citizens allow anyone who has been added to your circle to
track your whereabouts anytime. Of course, this invites some major drama if a
friend has temporarily blocked another friend from being able to view their
location and company.
Status updates are also automatically fed to the device of
anyone who follows you. The pop-ups must be insane! The only way to be able to
manage them is to be tied to your device more so than we currently are (already
too much, in my opinion).
Or
devices can already handle transactions and more, but I wanted to take this a
step farther. I need this capability to be moved inside the body so that the
chips would hold a person’s identity and entire worth. Pretty hard to part
with, right? Being in the body, the chips can also monitor citizens’ health.
This is very important in this futuristic setting as cancer and other fatal
illness are on the rise.
Do you
think the way that I’ve advanced technology in the setting of “Concealed in the
Shadows” is possible? Probable? An eerie idea, considering how things go in the
novel, but one about which I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let’s discuss in the
comments!
GABRIELLE ARROWSMITH enjoyed writing her debut novel, Concealed in the Shadows, during a lovely Minnesota summer that she had off from her primary profession, teaching. Acting, playing and coaching soccer, reading, playing piano, and spending time with family and friends are among her other interests.
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Until the next time,
