New Mel Keegan book: GROUND ZERO

What's this -- another new book from Mel Keegan, in the same year?! In fact, it is -- and Keegan might even be able to get a third one out this side of Christmas (three books in 2009: woah).

First off, I want to hand out kudos: Jade excelled on this one. This cover is outta sight. We are talking about serious delight. I confess to performing a couple of laps of the office without touching the ground, when I received the proof.

So, what's the book about? I'm describing it as "a sexy very-near-future SF thriller, set in the fair city of Adelaide, South Australia, in the winter of 2048, where a couple of gorgeous guys are investigating a series of weird murders and high-tech robberies, which lead them to a specific location, at a certain time ... and a life and death struggle they didn't see coming."

I've had a lot of fun "tweaking" the present through four more decades. How will this city change and grow? How will technology affect us? I've had a blast with this book, and I know it shows in the narrative. The heroes are a couple of beauties, Lee Ronson and Brendan Scott. They're a couple; and one of the advantages of living in '48 is that the GLBT community is fully integrated into society -- prejudice has been left behind.

Once again, I've set the book in winter. I did this with Storm Tide too. Two Aussie gay novels set in winter. Why?? Well, for one thing, I prefer the winter. Also, by 2048, global warming is going to so rough, I have a feeling our summers will be so hot, running around, full-tilt, will be a right royal pain. Also (fact!) everyone expects an Aussie novel to be about beaches and barbies and sweating, and I wanted (and still do) to be different.

The book is about 95,000 words, about 250pp in paperback; and it'll be launching in eBook and paper, so everyone should be happy here.

Sample chapters will be up in a few days, and the eBook will be available next week. The paperback will follow in September. (Speaking of which, the paperback of Winds of Chance will also be coming out soon: I'll update you on that next time.)

So -- yes, Virginia: two new Keegans in the same year, and a possibility (no promises) of a third before Christmas.

Cheers!
Mel