Monday, June 24, 2013

What is "Xmas Carol" about?

Amazon supplies a small space for authors to describe their books -- a very small space. There is room for the author to write a few lines and that's it. It's much too confining. (Hey, Amazon. We're in the ebook age; we don't have to limit descriptions to a space that would fit on the back of a "book". There are no books anymore. See how that works?)

Here's an extended description of the story:

Xmas Carol is a sci-fi/horror novel that takes place in New York in the year 2030. The story ranges from the art and entertainment worlds of Manhattan to a stately horse farm in upstate New York.

The world has changed. For one thing, technology has advanced in ways we can hardly imagine. Critically, one simple device has changed the life of every American. Called Visors, it is a pair of glasses that allows people to access information, lots of information. You can do almost anything with Visors, including visiting faraway friends in full 3D. And in one's home, TV has been replaced by 3D, which provides a life-size image of shows and movies. All the world is a stage. And as technology enhanced the lives of its citizens, America itself changed. In 2030, gay marriage is legal and so is marijuana.

This is the backdrop for Xmas Carol, a suspenseful tale about a mother who lost her four-year-old daughter in a brutal accident. Maria Kennedy was almost destroyed by her loss. But with the help of her brother Liam, she fought her way back and reclaimed her life. Through a sperm donation from her brother's husband, the world-famous artist, Joe Rock, Maria bears another child, a beautiful daughter named Jennifer.

All seems well as the book opens. Jennifer is now four years old and Maria has another chance at protecting her child and ensuring that she has a long, safe life. But as Halloween arrives at the bucolic horse farm where they live, something goes awry. Jennifer is in danger -- though no one in the family is aware of this.

Evil, enhanced by science, is coming to claim little Jennifer Kennedy. Will Maria, her brother Liam and his husband Joe figure out what's happening in time to save Jennifer? The countdown to Xmas is on. And there's far more at stake this year than a simple holiday.