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Coming this May: Divided We Fall

Published by Adam on March 22, 2014

Okay, so a lot has been happening behind the scenes on my new novel, Divided We Fall.

But let’s start with the release date: May 10, 2014. As in, less than two months from now. Get hyped.

What’s that? How should you get hyped? Well, a good place to start might be the brand-spanking-new website for the novel! If you didn’t already click the link above, here it is again: www.wethedivided.com.

Preorders for the eBook will open soon at select online book stores including Apple iTunes, Barnes & Noble Nook and Kobo. On release day, you’ll be able to buy the paperback and eBook from Amazon.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me take a step back. Divided We Fall is a dystopian love story about surveillance. An elite agent of the Guard finds out that her fiancé has become an Underground revolutionary and tries to win him back. Complications ensue.

It’s also a sequel to my first novel, We, The Watched. Should you read We, The Watched before Divided We Fall? Well, of course you should, but you don’t have to. I’ve written the new book so you won’t get lost without reading the first. You will gain a more full experience reading both, but really, I don’t mind about the order.

A sneak peak at Chapter One of Divided We Fall.

Anyway, we’re almost there, people. The cover and book layout is complete for both the eBook and the paperback. I’ll soon be getting the paperback proof in the mail (UPDATE: It’s here! See above photo) and will just have to do a check to make sure everything looks all right. Then it’s just a matter of getting it into the stores!

One more thing! Remember that time I invited you to submit pictures of surveillance cameras to my Facebook page? Well, I’ve just moved all of that to Tumblr, which I think is a far more effective place for that kind of thing. So, please follow my Tumblr page and submit your own pics!

Keep your eyes on this blog for more updates on Divided We Fall. Between now and release day I should have a fun surprise for you…

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Revealed: Divided We Fall cover

Published by Adam on February 11, 2014

It’s here! The cover for my new novel, Divided We Fall, coming this spring!

Divided We Fall is the sequel to We, The Watched. The manuscript was a quarter-finalist in last year’s Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards and received a great review by Publishers Weekly.

Belinda Pepper, who designed the cover for We, The Watched, has returned to do Divided We Fall with brilliant results! Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Divided We Fall by Adam Bender. Coming this spring.

Quick status update: With the cover finished and the book fully edited, we’re nearly there! I’ve still got to get the interior text formatted for the print and eBook versions. Then it’s pretty much just a matter of clicking “Publish.” Keep your eye on this blog for more updates!

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Watched in the real world

Published by Adam on June 12, 2013

The current debate over the National Security Agency’s surveillance program, PRISM, highlights a great conundrum for citizens of any country: How much personal privacy should one give up in exchange for better national security?

When I wrote my novel We, The Watched and its upcoming sequel Divided We Fall, I imagined a dystopian nation in which the government had used national security as an excuse to take all privacy rights from the people. That’s not the case today, but it’s one possible outcome if the balance swings too far in one direction.

With every call, social media update or credit card transaction, people leave behind a long trail of data that can potentially be stored and analyzed by businesses and the government. The digitization of video and an increasing number of surveillance cameras potentially adds even more data to mix.

Evolving tools for big data analysis provide an ability to parse and make sense of all this information like never before. This technology can be used for good and keep people safe, but like any great power it can be abused without the right privacy checks in place.

Divided We Fall manuscript acclaimed by Publishers Weekly

Published by Adam on April 18, 2013

Publishers Weekly has praised the manuscript for my unpublished second novel, Divided We Fall.

An independent reviewer from the literary mag wrote that the story “raises interesting questions about the influence of propaganda on the construction of the self, the idea of true tabula rasa and the power of memory.” In addition, “the central love story propels the narrative energetically.”

Divided We Fall received the review after finishing as a quarterfinalist in this year’s Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, one of the top 100 novels selected in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror category. Unfortunately, it was not one of the five entries to go onto the next round, but I’m quite happy with how well it did and look forward to seeking representation.

While you’re waiting for the release of Divided We Fall, please check out my first novel We, The Watched as well as my recent short stories “Life Trade” and “Smokers Corner.”

Divided We Fall is an ABNA quarterfinalist

Published by Adam on March 28, 2013

A couple of months ago, I entered the manuscript for my second novel in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Now I’m happy to report that Divided We Fall has made it through the first two rounds and is a quarterfinalist!

There were 500 novels across five genres that made the cut. Divided We Fall was one of 100 sci-fi/fantasy/horror entries.

A couple Amazon.com reviewers had a look at the first few chapters, and here’s what they had to say:

Amazon Reviewer 1:

This novel has some serious promise. Here we are in the first few thousand words and we already have a love triangle and a religious/political rebellion. Seriously, the author has provided some interesting angles to work out what the pitch promises to deliver.

Amazon Reviewer 2:

Its flows and is good. With a few fixes it may outpace “The Handmaids Tale.” I hope to see more.

Even if I don’t make it any further in the contest, I will still get a review by Publishers Weekly. This will be a great tool for convincing literary agents and publishers to take a look (unless PW hates it, but I’m feeling optimistic).

What’s that you say? If I win the contest, I won’t need to convince anyone else?

Hey dude, take a chill pill! I’m trying to measure my expectations here!

For now, please check out the sample and–if you like what you read–leave a review. Please also give my first novel We, The Watched a go. I appreciate all your support!