After surviving disaster and betrayal on Earth, Ash and Skye return to Luna with news they hope will unite their rival colonies. But not everyone welcomes the change their discovery promises to bring. Can they save their two communities, or will the conflict shatter their nascent partnership…and with it, the last chance for a nearly extinct human race?From an authorial perspective, this installment posed more challenges than its predecessors. The first three featured plenty of physical action–fights, quadcopter crashes, being hunted by supposed allies–to heighten momentum. Escape Velocity relies more on psychological drama. I learned a lot about orchestrating suspense as Ash and Skye navigated a noir labyrinth of secrets, lies, and power that threatened their allegiance and their lives.
Escape Velocity also turns the tables on my protagonists. Up to this point, Skye has been an outsider in Ash’s world. This time he’s the alien in her dysfunctional home, and the reversal places interesting pressures on both of them. Their relationship, alternately friendly and fractious, continues to surprise me even as I write it. And because it’s Syzygy, there’s some cool science integrated throughout, including the physiological effects of space exposure (turns out people don’t freeze instantly, like they do in B-grade sci-fi movies, but what really happens isn’t pretty).
I hope this story is as intriguing to read as it was to write. Can’t wait to hear what you think! Look for updates on Part V, Red Shift, coming soon.
