In The Consortium – Genesis, a secret society of scientists and science enthusiasts sacrifices the lives of abandoned and lonely individuals as they attempt to evolve the human race. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Actually, it came to me in a dream. Literally. Normally my dreams are a confusing, clouded mess, but in this instance, the story was clear and very memorable. In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It grew so much in my head, it filled my thoughts and I had a hard time being able to think about anything else. So, I decided to write it down to try and get it out of my head (and get a little peace up in there). The next thing I know, I’ve got a novel.

How long did it take you to imagine, draft, and write the world your characters live in?

Basically, the story was there. I just had to write it down. It took about 2 months of steady writing to get the first part of it down, about 350 pages worth. It left off with something of a cliffhanger and I thought I was done. I gave it to a good friend to read, and she was like, “Where’s the rest of it?” I told her that was it, and she said, “No no no, you can’t leave my girl [Amelia] hanging like that. Where’s the rest of it?” So I sat down, re-read it, then thought, “Well, s**t, she’s right.” I didn’t have the ability to write full time so it took me about 2 years to get the rest of the trilogy written, but I was finally able to finish it, lol!

What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?

Oh, wow … that’s a tough one. I love all the main characters – Amelia, Spike, Hao, Drake, and Shane. They complement each other so well. I guess my favorite scene is the one where they all meet at The Black Door bar for the first time, when Amelia shows them her powers. That initial part where they realize they can hear Spike’s thoughts and their reactions, were laugh-out-loud funny to me. Makes me smile every time I think about it.

Can you give readers a peek inside the next installment of this series? When can we expect to see it released?

Absolutely! In fact, I made sure all of it was completed before I even attempted to publish so people wouldn’t have to wait and wonder if I was going to continue it. That’s something I hate myself, so I didn’t want to leave my readers like that. Amelia’s story doesn’t end with Genesis. She and the gang face even greater obstacles in Rising as they continue their efforts to dismantle The Consortium from the inside. More characters are introduced, culminating in the final showdown and battle with an unexpected nemesis in Apex. The digital version of Genesis, along with the paperback and digital versions of Rising and Apex, will be available on August 1, 2024. I am also working on the audiobook for Genesis and hope to have it completed and available within the next one to two months. The paperback and digital versions are available on Amazon, and while I hope to get the audiobook accepted by Audible, that will take a while. In the meantime, once it’s ready, the audiobook version will be available for purchase on my website (https://www.bachapman.com). For those who are interested, be sure to use the sign-up form on my website to be notified of upcoming release dates.

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