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Book I in the "Civitas Rising" Series
Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman
Work, sex, and the meaning of life - in the future.
It’s been nineteen years since the Freedom First Party swept Democrats and Republicans from power in an American election that shocked the world. Corporate libertarianism has dramatically transformed every facet of American life: government departments, regulations, and programs are gone - free markets rule.
With medical care now beyond the reach of all but a fortunate few, musician Jonathan Newman must find a way to pay his gravely ill son’s hospital bills. In desperation he takes a sales job with QualLab, a global laboratory supply company that offers a generous compensation package. Once there, a web of wires, tubes, and sensors connect him to a table in a secluded cell where he works selling bio-laboratory tests made from human materials - his.
Surprisingly, Jonathan turns out to be both a star salesman and an ideal bio-supplier, leading QualLab to begin a campaign to extend his contract. Locked in his tiny chamber, Jonathan is immersed in a thrilling virtual world – part of a clandestine effort to transfer his loyalty from family to Company.
Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman chronicles a tug-of-war between competing values. Across America, Freedom First has placed corporate power and radical individualism above the shared needs of the broader community, while isolated on his table, Jonathan is lured from all he has held dear and into the seductive self-centeredness and instant gratification of virtual life. It’s family and community against technology and greed, and the outcome is anything but certain.
The novel explores the tension between the work we do and our other life priorities, forecasts what a lesser-government America might look like, and considers how the technologies infiltrating every aspect of our lives impact who we are.
Want to read the VYJN Prologue? Just click here.
Work, sex, and the meaning of life - in the future.
It’s been nineteen years since the Freedom First Party swept Democrats and Republicans from power in an American election that shocked the world. Corporate libertarianism has dramatically transformed every facet of American life: government departments, regulations, and programs are gone - free markets rule.
With medical care now beyond the reach of all but a fortunate few, musician Jonathan Newman must find a way to pay his gravely ill son’s hospital bills. In desperation he takes a sales job with QualLab, a global laboratory supply company that offers a generous compensation package. Once there, a web of wires, tubes, and sensors connect him to a table in a secluded cell where he works selling bio-laboratory tests made from human materials - his.
Surprisingly, Jonathan turns out to be both a star salesman and an ideal bio-supplier, leading QualLab to begin a campaign to extend his contract. Locked in his tiny chamber, Jonathan is immersed in a thrilling virtual world – part of a clandestine effort to transfer his loyalty from family to Company.
Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman chronicles a tug-of-war between competing values. Across America, Freedom First has placed corporate power and radical individualism above the shared needs of the broader community, while isolated on his table, Jonathan is lured from all he has held dear and into the seductive self-centeredness and instant gratification of virtual life. It’s family and community against technology and greed, and the outcome is anything but certain.
The novel explores the tension between the work we do and our other life priorities, forecasts what a lesser-government America might look like, and considers how the technologies infiltrating every aspect of our lives impact who we are.
Want to read the VYJN Prologue? Just click here.
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Book II in the "Civitas Rising" Series
Civitas Island - The Birth of Hope
Love, death, fish, and the American Renaissance.
The gloves are off, the stakes are high, and the global elite will stop at nothing in this thrilling sequel to “Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman.”
It’s been two years since the Newman family abandoned the US mainland to settle on tiny Civitas Island, a peaceful sanctuary off the Pacific coast. There Jonathan, his wife Jen, and daughter Rachel, together with their young friend Marco Prima, rebuild their fractured lives.
The Island population keeps a low profile, avoiding unwanted attention from Freedom First, the libertarian political party that dominates Mainland USA. All that changes, however, when Marco and other Civitas leaders launch American Renaissance, a new political movement to challenge Freedom First’s iron grip over the nation.
Powerful forces encircle the close-knit community. The island enclave’s self-sustaining fishing and farming industries are mysteriously beset by deadly algae blooms and toxic blight. Community leaders are hunted down by clandestine cartels mobilizing to crush any challenge to their economic and political dominance.
Rachel and Marco find themselves at the center of this conflict. The young lovers are haunted by the most harrowing ordeals as they confront their personal demons as well as the corporate powers aligned against them. It’s a David versus Goliath battle with impossible odds, but no matter how dark things get, where there is love and loyalty, family and community, there is hope.
Want to read the Civitas Island Prologue? Just click here.
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Love, death, fish, and the American Renaissance.
The gloves are off, the stakes are high, and the global elite will stop at nothing in this thrilling sequel to “Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman.”
It’s been two years since the Newman family abandoned the US mainland to settle on tiny Civitas Island, a peaceful sanctuary off the Pacific coast. There Jonathan, his wife Jen, and daughter Rachel, together with their young friend Marco Prima, rebuild their fractured lives.
The Island population keeps a low profile, avoiding unwanted attention from Freedom First, the libertarian political party that dominates Mainland USA. All that changes, however, when Marco and other Civitas leaders launch American Renaissance, a new political movement to challenge Freedom First’s iron grip over the nation.
Powerful forces encircle the close-knit community. The island enclave’s self-sustaining fishing and farming industries are mysteriously beset by deadly algae blooms and toxic blight. Community leaders are hunted down by clandestine cartels mobilizing to crush any challenge to their economic and political dominance.
Rachel and Marco find themselves at the center of this conflict. The young lovers are haunted by the most harrowing ordeals as they confront their personal demons as well as the corporate powers aligned against them. It’s a David versus Goliath battle with impossible odds, but no matter how dark things get, where there is love and loyalty, family and community, there is hope.
Want to read the Civitas Island Prologue? Just click here.
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Getting Past Getting Lucky
Thirty years later...
After too many promising relationships that ended badly, Robert made a discovery that transformed his life. Thirty years later, he’s finally telling the story. What Robert discovered, his Relationship Quadrants, is a simple yet powerful tool that will help you take the guess work out of finding your life partner.
In Getting Past Getting Lucky Robert explains why so many of us make disastrous relationship choices, and presents an alternative approach that promises better results.
You shouldn't have to count on luck when making the most important decision of your life. Discover a more reliable strategy in Getting Past Getting Lucky.
After too many promising relationships that ended badly, Robert made a discovery that transformed his life. Thirty years later, he’s finally telling the story. What Robert discovered, his Relationship Quadrants, is a simple yet powerful tool that will help you take the guess work out of finding your life partner.
In Getting Past Getting Lucky Robert explains why so many of us make disastrous relationship choices, and presents an alternative approach that promises better results.
You shouldn't have to count on luck when making the most important decision of your life. Discover a more reliable strategy in Getting Past Getting Lucky.