“As Melanie continued her ascent, a sudden twist of fate sent her plunging into the abyss. With a deafening snap, one of her anchors gave way, unleashing a frantic whirlwind of adrenaline. She dangled by a thread, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, as the inky depths of the cavern beckoned below.
In the agonizing stillness of that moment, she prayed. Her grip on the situation slipped like the frayed rope that held her life. A primal scream tore from her throat as she swung wildly in the darkness, her world a terrifying blur of shadows and echoes.” – Chapter 12, Welcome to Dulce
Beautiful people, I present to you Welcome to Dulce, a science fiction novel about secrets, redemption, and the horrors of human capability.
Synopsis:
In the heart of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, two young boys embark on a playful adventure with their new walkie-talkies, unaware that their innocent curiosity will unleash an otherworldly force upon the Earth. Beneath the unsuspecting ground, a foreign entity stirs. A virus, cunning and elusive, creeps silently across the globe, concealing its true nature. Once symptoms are detected, it’s too late for doctors to help. Except one.
Dr. Irene Lemanski, a former military doctor and virologist, recognizes the cryptic patterns emerging in the wake of this silent menace. With a diverse team including a tenacious tabloid writer, his saucy ex-lover, and two misfit students, she races against the clock to find the cure. But there’s a catch—the cure is also the U.S. Government’s most guarded secret.
Behind the Scenes (from the Author’s Note):
It never ceases to amaze me how my stories develop way beyond what I originally intended. When I was in the fifth grade, I had a not-so-secret obsession with extra-terrestrials. This was partially fueled by The X-files—something that I was likely too young to watch, but did so anyway. While my interest in aliens faded, my curiosity hasn’t wavered. All things paranormal interested me, but it would be a long time before this story developed into the book it is today.
Fast forward to my years at Christopher Newport University. A small sinkhole emerged in my parents’ backyard. It was an old septic tank, never filled in with concrete. Assisted by the infiltration of nearby tree roots, its roof caved in. Suddenly, an idea was born.
I wanted to write a story about a young couple, or a set of neighbors, in New Mexico discovering a secret passage to an underground facility like the one often rumored to be underneath the Archuleta Mesa. But something was missing. There wasn’t enough to the story. There was no aim or message. Until 2020.
The pandemic breathed new life into this idea. I realized what I was missing and added the virus component, which became the center piece tying in new characters that sprang to life in my imagination. Creativity is funny that way—it doesn’t really work until you start working. Still, I expected this story to be some small blip. Possibly a short story, but never a full-length novel. I guess that’s part of the charm of storytelling.
Meet the Characters:
Author’s Journey:
One of the many challenges about being a writer is trying to appear smart. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m not dumb, yet I’m also no genius. When writing science fiction, sometimes my ideas intimidate me. I’m not the most technologically savvy individual. Nor do I have the most advanced knowledge of medicine and viruses. However, a little research gave me enough confidence to try and make something work and by golly, I think I did.
As with any project, there will be critics, but I hope at least I entertained.
Personally, I’m impressed with myself in terms of pace. Once frozen by the monsters of perfectionism and imposter syndrome, I’ve been able to defeat them long enough to get another book out into the world and make those monsters a little less menacing. While my own writing process is ever-changing and grows with each new endeavor, I feel more relaxed as an author after pushing this third novel to publication. Here’s to many more!
A huge thank you to all of you for your support through yet another novel. Grab your copy here from Amazon. (Link is to the Amazon US store, but the book is available on all Amazon storefronts.)
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