One of the first questions I’m asked by interested readers is where did I get the idea for Sunset Rising.  The idea for this book came to me a long time ago (and I’m dating myself here) when I was attending Dalhousie University.  I was researching a paper on ocean-atmospheric interaction (exciting stuff… really, it is!) and I came across a failed Bio-Dome experiment in Arizona (I posted some links for you to follow).  The Bio-Dome was built to be a self-sustaining structure capable of supporting life.  To test the Dome, a group of people moved into it for a few years.  Long story short, the experiment failed, but that didn’t stop my imagination from going into overdrive.  The Bio-Dome was not a cheap experiment.  It took a lot of money and a lot of smart people to build it and money continues to be poured into it.   My question is:  why? Are we hedging our bets that one day we’ll need a Bio-Dome to save humanity from a global catastrophe?  And if that ever does happen, who will be the lucky ones to be saved?  Who gets to choose those lucky souls?  Although the idea of a Bio-Dome seems benign, the actual need for one would bring up quite a few ethical questions.  And it’s the ethics lurking behind it that really made me want to write this novel.

This is where my idea for Sunset Rising (Book 1) originated.  It is a post-apocalyptic story based on my own imaginings of how life inside a Bio-Dome might evolve.  The book is geared toward young adults (which I assume to be 16 or over… although I am letting my 13 year daughter read it), however I hope people of all ages enjoy it.  Woven into the story is plenty of action and romance set against a backdrop of human suffering and perseverance.  My goal in writing this book was to entertain the reader with an interesting plot and colorful characters; therefore if you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next book then I consider my novel a success. If my novel was also provocative enough to make you think about modern day political and human rights issues, then I consider it an accomplishment.

If you have read the book and liked it, please feel free to visit my FB Author page and leave a comment, or better yet give your review at Goodreads or Kindle.  If you didn’t like the book, feel free to contact me… 😉