Book Title: Reaching Angelica: Book #2 in the Tag Series by Peter Riva
Category: Adult fiction, 368 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk
Publisher: Yucca Publishing / Skyhorse Publications
Release date: February 2, 2016
Available for review in: Print and ebook (PDF)
Will send print books: Internationally
Tour dates: April 11 to May 13, 2016
Content Rating: PG (there is brief nudity, nothing salacious)
Book Description:
In a massive spaceship destined for Alpha Centauri B, with a genesis crew including Zip the telepathic dog, his old friendly nemesis Cramer, and a computer being named Ra (now inhabiting a human form and calling herself Aten), Simon Bank emerges from a hundred-year coma and is hailed as an awakened hero. Stuck with unwanted responsibility, he is forced to try to solve the entire enigma of the universe—a small undertaking—before the spaceship, his friends, and all life on Earth are swatted out of existence by super beings he has accidentally awakened.
Simon’s only hope is to plunge into other dimensions with his mind—into the secrets of the universe’s pan-dimensions—as only he knows how. The fate of all life hangs in the balance as he struggles to prove himself worthy of the Path and the absolute trust his friends place in him. Simon knows all too well that if he fails there is no hope—none at all—for anyone, and that includes his best friend, an artificial intelligence computer called Apollo, which he sadly left behind. Besides, Zip would not be pleased, either.
For fans of cyberpunk and classic science fiction, Reaching Angelica (Yucca Publishing; February 2, 2016; 978-1-63158-069-7) is the second book in Peter Riva’s Tag trilogy, the comic, thrilling, and continuing saga of Simon Bank—ex–master system computer wrangler and very unlikely galactic hero.
Praise for Reaching Angelica
“Thrilling moments keep the suspense high in space. . . . The way Riva describes the mysteries of the universe is intriguing. . . . This cyberpunk world has its own laws of stretching brains wide with its mind-bending concepts.”
—Jake Vyper, Fantascize.com
Meet the author:
Interview with Peter Riva:
- Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
Hardest was always going to be Simon Bank. A man who doesn’t know how smart he really is, who was misled by his parents and society, used as a tool who suddenly has all this responsibility thrust upon him – he remains humble, never self-delusional and, yes, screws up (a lot).
- There are many Cyberpunk out there about artificial intelligence...What makes yours different?
All of them go on the concept that the brain power would be enough to awaken a being who would then, like Athena from Zeus’ head, fully formed and capable. But any AI – modelling is human for most computers after all – would emerge as an infant. That makes the AI more AND less frightening and certainly more interesting.
- Your book is set in space. Have you ever been there?
Don’t I wish! I spent a lot of time with astronauts and great aviators. So, yes, their passion did rub off on me. I live near the VLA and that trip and museum is always mind-blowing.
- Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
Less writer’s block than writer’s impediment. Daily grind, work, paychecks. How do I overcome it? Work harder and carve out time. Sometimes that takes a while.
- What is your next project?
Simon Bank has one more story in him… and I suspect Zip will save the day…
- What is the last great book you’ve read?
As a literary agent, I get great book to read all the time. Perhaps the most “out there” intelligent and talented writer is Sharman Apt Russell. Oh, and her father was the great Capt. Apt who flew the Bell X-2.
- In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
Yes, I have, diagrams, notes, phrases I want to remember in the middle of the night. But I like computers – as long as they obey my organization and input and are not fascist do-it-our-way machines (sorry Apple, I am not a fan).
- Favorite dessert?
Palmier cookies. I used to get them at Dumas’ Bakery on Lexington as a kid. Now I get them from a friend, Tina Salmon, who makes them better than Fauchon’s of Paris! If you have not had a great one, flaky and crisp, you are missing one of life’s great pleasures.
- If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
That all of my stories are based on fact, knowledge and then spun out from there. Where’s the line? Like all Sci-Fi my sincere hope is that years from now someone will read my books and say, “He almost had it right!”
Thank you Peter for a wonderful interview.
Giveaway:
Prizes:
Win 1 of 5 sets of books (The Path Book 1 and Reaching Angelica Book 2) + 1 of 2 $25 Amazon gift cards
(open internationally)
Best of luck to you and your book!!
ReplyDelete