Surprise! Déjà View Is Here!

Yes, my blog pic is the cover again.

For those who listened to my interview on the 1980s Now podcast a few months ago, I told host Will Padilla I was hoping my next novel, Déjà View, would be released just before Christmas. Well, to borrow a phrase from Professor Farnsworth (sorry for the ‘90s reference), Good news, everyone! Déjà View is here and available for purchase at Amazon at the link below:

Amazon

For those who’d rather shop at Barnes & Noble, don’t worry, it’ll be available there in a week or so. (For some reason, they always take longer than Amazon to update their site.) I’ll update this blog or just post another blog when that happens and B&N carries the new book.

I think it’s appropriate that this book is coming out just before Halloween instead of the more festive holidays because of its tone. (There’s even a chapter titled “Halloween.”) It’s definitely more in tune with this most spooky time of year. I imagine kids and grown-up kids (i.e., adults) reading this one around a campfire, snuggling under a blanket, and roasting marshmallows. (Oh, the fire hazard of this imagery!)

And speaking of the “spooky-scary” tone of this book (now that was a ‘00s reference), I’d like to reiterate one more time (let’s be honest; it won’t be the last time) that people should not expect this book to be Danger Peak 2. Aside from the main character having two best friends, this book doesn’t share many similarities with my debut novel. Does this make me nervous? Kinda! (I do keep bringing it up.) This is mostly because Danger Peak was well-received (at least critically) and the people who read it (all eight of you) seemed to like it very much, so please go into this one knowing it’s a departure. In fact, it’s so much of a departure, I subtitled it “A Kid Nightmare.” Those with amazing brains (and who may be obsessed with me and my work—Hi, Mom!) will remember the subtitle of Danger Peak was “A Kid Adventure.” So, in this small way, the two books are linked, but they have radically different tones. Heh, “radical.” Now there’s an ‘80s reference for ya.

Since I’m on the topic of references (for those who are curious), yes, this book also takes place in the late ‘80s—very late, specifically, 1989, the same year as Danger Peak—but it also goes into the early ‘90s, and that’s when all hell breaks loose. You might be thinking, “‘All hell,’ you say? This doesn’t sound like the goofy, kiddie adventure of Danger Peak.” Now you’re catching on! So yes, there are the standard ‘80s references scattered throughout, as is my m.o., but again, they’re not random and pointless (looking at you, Ernest Cline’s Armada), and there aren’t as many this time around. I decided to trust in my developing skills as a novelist and let the story play out, regardless of whether there’s a shoutout to Madonna or not.

For those who don’t know the novel’s plot (in case you haven’t read past blogs), I’ll post the book’s back-cover copy here:

Twelve-year-old Bobby Dalton doesn’t want to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games of childhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times. But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule to commemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is seeing visions: doubles of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them “déjà view.” Are these visions real, or has his imagination finally gotten away from him? And if they’re real, what do they want? Bobby needs to figure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life. From the author of the award-winning Danger Peak, Déjà View is a darkly funny coming-of-age dramedy with a sci-fi twist, cranked up to eleven. But even more, it’s at once a pulse-pounding thrill ride and a haunting portrait of paranoia, mental illness, and the unbearable sadness of growing up.

I’ve also updated the Déjà View homepage with the Amazon link here:

Déjà View Homepage

Alright, I think I’ve blathered on enough. Click the link above (or below) to pick up a copy of the book and see for yourself! And feel free to drop me a line after you’ve read it to let me know what you think—but only if you loved it! J/k…kinda.

MTP

P.S.: Déjà View is now available on Amazon (duh):

Amazon

P.P.S.: Currently, Amazon is listing the age range for this book as appropriate for 4-year-olds. Not true! Not only is it 275 pages (with zero illustrations), but there are a few swear words sprinkled in. I would calculate the age range as 12 and up (or 10 and up, if your child can handle mature themes).