Check out some interesting facts about this new Dystopian series and enter a giveaway below...
The GatheringBy Bernadette Giacomazzo
Adult Dystopian, SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 150 Pages
March 31st 2018
Summary
The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.
In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.
Top Ten Things to Know about The World of The Gathering
By Bernadette Giacomazzo
10. In the original draft of the book, Jamie & Kanoa were mortal enemies.
Even though they’re both ex-members of The Cabal, when I first drafted The Gathering, they were mortal enemies, and actually spent the first two chapters of the book trying to kill each other. But, when I re-read the passages, it looked too much like The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, so I ditched it and made them the best of friends. It worked out a lot better.
9. Even though many people believe Emperor is based on Donald Trump, he’s a composite character.
In a different book, I’ll explore his strange and unusual history, but Emperor is a composite “cult of personality” character. Yes, there are some elements of Donald Trump in him – I mean, it was written during the 2016 election – but other elements draw inspiration from people like Duterte, Pol Pot, Mussolini, and even Gandhi.
8. Tommy didn’t exist in the first draft of the book.
The original “lineup” of the characters was Jamie Ryan, Basile Perrinault, Kanoa Shinomura, and Evanora Cunningham. But I realized it was incredibly “lopsided” – Evanora was 20 years younger than the rest of “cast,” and it felt weird and, in a way, creepy. To balance it out, I introduced Tommy and, later, Pualani to the lineup, and it not only balanced the “cast” out better, it gave the story an added depth it didn’t have before.
7. Some of the names in the book are a nod and a wink to some good friends.
Have fun finding them, but I’ll give you one hint: the names of the Ouroboros are actual names of New York & Long Island-based DJs that I worked with over the years.
6. Spoiler Alert: Vector Prime is someone you’ve already been introduced to.
There’s a number of shadowy figures throughout the book, and one such shadowy figure is Vector Prime. I know who Vector Prime really is…and by the end of the series, you will too. Here’s a hint: you’ve already met the real Vector Prime in this book.
5. The name of the second book is Kings and Queens, and it has a multi-layered meaning.
Even though the name of the “big bad” is Emperor, the name of the second book is Kings and Queens, and there are a number of meanings and reasons behind that title. First, of course, is that the members of “The Uprising,” as a sum total, are kings and queens, in their own way. Second, “Kings and Queens” are the names of two of the five “outer boroughs” (or, to keep it in the world of The Uprising series, “Ouroboros”) of New York City – Queens County and, of course, Kings (Brooklyn) County. Finally, one of the songs in my mental soundtrack for this book is “Kings and Queens” by Aerosmith, from the Draw the Line album. If you listen to the song or are familiar with it independently of me talking about it, you’ll get the overall “vibe” of the second book.
4. This is my first – and only – fiction series.
After these six books, I’m done with fiction. It’s not because I don’t like writing it – it’s because I don’t have another “story” in me, frankly. It took 20 years of writing, professionally, to feel comfortable within myself to write this fiction series, and it’s a story I’ve been wanting to tell for some time now. It’s best to make an impact with one great series and write other things – maybe help a celebrity or two write their autobiography, or write true crime books – than it is to keep flogging a proverbial dead horse.
3. The songs mentioned in the book are real songs.
If it helps to set the “tone” of the book, go on YouTube and track down the songs I listed in the book, and listen to them while you’re reading it. That will put you right “there,” in New York City…even if you’ve never been.
2. Jamie Ryan’s stage name is a play on a NYC rock star’s real name.
Jamie Ryan’s stage name is “Ivan Sapphire,” which is based on the real name of a NYC rock star. Other than their name, and the fact that they’re both musicians, however, Jamie and the real NYC rock star have nothing in common.
1. I’m currently developing the TV series based on the book series.
I don’t want to give too much away, so suffice it to say that I invite you to tune into my social media pages to stay tuned. 😊
About the Author
With an impressive list of credentials earned over the course of two decades, Bernadette R. Giacomazzo is a multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the word: an editor, writer, photographer, publicist, and digital marketing specialist who has demonstrated an uncanny ability to thrive in each industry with equal aplomb. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many, many more. She served as the news editor of Go! NYC Magazine for nearly a decade, the executive editor of LatinTRENDS Magazine for five years, the eye candy editor of XXL Magazine for two years, and the editor-at-large at iOne/Zona de Sabor for two years. As a publicist, she has worked with the likes of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit record label, rapper Kool G. Rap, and various photographers, artists, and models. As a digital marketing specialist, Bernadette is Google Adwords certified, has an advanced knowledge of SEO, PPC, link-building, and other digital marketing techniques, and has worked for a variety of clients in the legal, medical, and real estate industries.
Based in New York City, Bernadette is the co-author of Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (for the 21st Century), and the author of the forthcoming dystopian fiction series, The Uprising. She also contributed a story to the upcoming Beyonce Knowles tribute anthology, The King Bey Bible, which will be available in bookstores nationwide in the summer of 2018.
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