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Tag: We The Watched

I don’t recommend pneumonia, and I’m not going to write about it in my next novel

notebook with sticker on black background
Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

I know, I know … I already messed up my New Year’s resolution of writing a blog post every month. But it’s not that I forgot. No, really, I have an excuse:

Pneumonia. The excuse is pneumonia. And I do not recommend it.

Doing much better now, thanks.

Anyway! While that whole thing did waylay me for about a month, I do have a few updates to share. First, happy to say my novels are now available in eBook format through Bookshop.org, which just recently started selling digital editions. I’ve had my paperbacks there for years now, and I absolutely recommend buying from Bookshop.org if you want your hard-earned cash to go to companies that support independent bookstores.

Meanwhile, things have been super busy on the Privacy Daily front, as the news about data privacy continues to ramp up. The first quarter of the year is also when the state legislatures are most active, so that’s been taking up a lot of my attention so far in 2026. But hey, they say it’s good to be busy, right?

Don’t worry–I haven’t completely neglected my creative writing! As I hinted at in my last post, I’ve lately been working in Reedsy’s writing app on something new.

You know, after breaking my resolution and skipping the blog in April, I feel like should give you something, even though I’ve become terribly superstitious about revealing my writing plans too early in the process. So, here goes, with the disclaimer that I may totally abandon this! You have been warned!

For some reason — the state of the world or whatever — has gotten me thinking again about the dystopian nation I created in my first two books, the so-called We, The Watched duology.

A central theme of those two books was forgetting, with a hero whose amnesia gives him a blank-slate perspective on how dark things have become even as the rest of society seems to ignore it. Lately, I have been thinking about how even societies that overcome such darkness may over time forget how bad things used to be–and begin to slip backwards.

So, I don’t know … I mean, who really says duology? Maybe it should be a trilogy?

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My Dystopian Bookshelf at ALA 2023

Libraries are an important place for book discovery. As an indie author, it’s even more important that I find ways to reach a critical audience of curators: the librarians!

This year I was excited to have an entire shelf to myself featuring my four dystopian novels at the American Library Association’s 2023 conference in Chicago. The event ran from June 22-27. My books appeared in a booth managed by the Independent Book Publishers Association. I’m a proud IBPA member.

Novels by Adam Bender on a shelf at the ALA 2023 conference on a stand for independent publishers. Also displayed are bookmarks for Utopia PR and postcards for The Wanderer and the New West.
Utopia PR bookmark with a quote: "Maybe you see a vicious killing machine that got loose and went on a rampage, but I sure don't ... Why, that there is a hero pup!"
Utopia PR bookmark

I made some really fun Utopia PR bookmarks specifically for the event! I’ve got extras and will try to find a way to make these available in the future. Let me know if you’re interested by tagging me on social media.

I had previously displayed and signed copies of The Wanderer and the New West at a pre-pandemic ALA conference in Washington, DC. I was unable to attend this year’s show in person, but I hope to get out to this excellent conference again in the future.

I love finding out that my books are available in libraries, whatever the format. All four eBook editions of my novels, plus the audiobook editions of my last two books, were accepted into the Indie Author Project and available to participating libraries. Books in physical and digital formats can also be acquired separately through distributors including Ingram and Smashwords. Please contact me if you need help finding my books.

Here are few more photos from ALA 2023. Here’s a fun idea: Try to find my novels in each picture like it’s a Where’s Waldo book!

Thanks to IBPA for taking all of the photos in this post!

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Utopia PR audiobook released! Plus, summer sales a plenty!

It’s finally here! The audiobook edition of my dystopian satire Utopia PR!

Utopia PR audiobook
Written by Adam Bender. Narrated by Tristan Wright

You can buy it now directly from me or from your favorite audiobook retailer, including Audible, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and Chirp!

I am so happy with how the audiobook came out. Tristan Wright put all his comedy chops into the reading of the wild PR team that has to spin for the President, who is known by the people as Our Leader. We received a ton of great reviews on NetGalley before today’s publication (Blake “The Hammer” Hamner him(n)self writes about them here). After 40 honest reviews there, it has an average score of four stars! I’m so very proud of that. Thank you to everyone who downloaded the book early and wrote a review.

Nice!

All that great feedback follows the original written version winning an award for best humor in last year’s IndieReader Discovery Awards.

Listen to an excerpt from the Utopia PR audiobook!

Skip this paragraph if you’ve already read my elevator pitch, but Utopia PR is a sci-fi satire about a public relations rep seeking work-life balance while managing crisis after crisis for a dystopian president. PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian.

Buy the audiobook today!

Deals a plenty! Wanderer audiobook and Smashwords Sale!

If you’re really on an audiobook binge, I’m also excited to share that the spoken version of my previous novel, The Wanderer and the New West, will be part of a Findaway Voices sale from July 1 until September 30, 2022! You’ll be able to get my dystopian western at a steep discount from Barnes & Noble, Chirp, Apple and Google Play.

In addition, you can find free or discounted eBooks of all four of my novels during the Smashwords Summer sale (or Winter sale if you’re in Australia)! The sale runs from July 1 until July 31, 2022. We, The Watched is free, while Divided We Fall, The Wanderer and the New West and Utopia PR will all be 50% off!

Thanks to all my readers for your continuing support. I hope to share more news soon on my next project.

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Kirkus Reviews: Divided We Fall Delivers on Promise of ‘Riveting Debut’

I’m excited to announce that Kirkus Reviews has followed up its rave review of my novel WE, THE WATCHED with a stellar review of the sequel, DIVIDED WE FALL.

You can check out the full critique over at Kirkus, but here’s a quick taste:

… a gripping dystopian narrative … Bender’s sequel is a worthy delivery on the promise of his riveting debut.

A novel about a scheming president offers an excellent read for those who love thrillers or 21st-century history.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

If you haven’t read DIVIDED WE FALL yet, check out this page for a list of stores where you can buy it in digital ($3.99) or paperback ($13.99). You can also get WE, THE WATCHED for FREE by joining my mailing list! And check out “Fire Eyes,” a short story that ties into the series.

DIVIDED WE FALL picks up on the events of WE, THE WATCHED. With the nation under attack, Agent Eve Parker must find and arrest her fiancé, who has lost his memory and become a revolutionary named Seven. However, when Eve learns more about the President’s plan to broaden citizen surveillance, she begins to question just who is right.

I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to reading your review!

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Bender Novels Featured in SELF-e Indie Pennsylvania

Now free at your library!
Now free at your library!

As a local Philadelphia author, I’m thrilled to announce that SELF-e is now featuring my novels WE, THE WATCHED and DIVIDED WE FALL in its Indie Pennsylvania collection.

SELF-e is a curated collection of self-published works by Library Journal and BiblioBoard, and is available to participating libraries across the county. Because I’m from Philly, my books will be featured prominently in the Pennsylvania Indie collection. When you visit a library in any state that has BiblioBoard, you can access eBooks of my novels on library computers or on your personal mobile devices by downloading the BiblioBoard app from the Apple, Google or Amazon app stores. Since you’re getting them through a library, the books are free to borrow, though the app includes a Buy link if you’d like to add the eBook or paperback to your personal bookshelf.

I’m excited to make my books available to new readers! If your library supports BiblioBoard, please let me know your experience finding my book. And if your library doesn’t have it, ask them to look into it!

And don’t forget, you can also get WE, THE WATCHED free by joining the Underground, my monthly mailing list for fans.

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Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog