Forever

Forever

I know this is a massive change of pace but I've recently completed the first draft of my new novel Forever.  It's a Young Adult science-fiction novel that deals with a concept I've been playing around with for years - the idea of age reversal and immortality. I've written a feature length screenplay, a TV pilot and now I've poured all the ideas into this YA novel.  I must say it's been an interesting change of pace!  You can check out my video teaser at the link above.
The synopsis of the story goes something like this:

I don’t know how old I am.  We don’t need to know. But I know I’m at least nineteen.  I’ll be nineteen forever. 

My name, Paige, means youthful assistant.  All of us Forevers have names that mean young or youthful and we wear a tattoo of two golden apples on our left wrist that shows we belong to IDunaCorp.

I want to know more.  I want to know why I’m here and what’s out there beyond the compound. But they tell us it’s dangerous outside.

Because everyone wants what we have and they’ll tear us apart to get it. 

So begins the story of Paige, genetically altered to stay nineteen forever and live in the confines of the secret Iduna Corp compound, a place where age reversal and immortality has been perfected.  Once you graduate at nineteen as a Keener you get your own place and the CEO tells you to live in the moment.  Enjoy every minute to its fullest. Be what you want to be for a while and when you get sick of it – be something else.

             It all seems perfect until Paige realizes her friends are disappearing.  The official word is they’ve been kidnapped by criminals on the outside who want to use them as feeders. Feeders have a short and brutal life – kept in captivity and sucked dry of all their youth cells so the Crime Lords can stay young forever.

When Paige has a breakdown she’s rescued from the mysterious Psych Centre by her friend Junius before too much of her memory is erased.  He involves her in a daring escape from the compound so they can infiltrate the IdunaCorp organization and find out what’s really happening to the missing forevers. Paige’s journey is complicated by the charismatic and musical Chale, a Keener whose attraction to Paige is flattering, confusing and the source of some tension between her and Junius.  

 When Chale is slated to disappear Paige and Junius save him in the midst of their escape.

             Once outside they discover a youth-obsessed society and learn more about their own special powers, reveal clues to their real identity but also realize the extent to which humans will go to achieve immortality. The mission becomes so dangerous Paige is forced to push herself to the limits of her endurance and to make tough decisions about who she can trust – Junius or Chale. 

I'll be focusing on this novel for a while but - for all you history buffs - I promise I'll get back to the past - eventually!