Michael C. Bland is the author of the new novel The Price of Rebellion, the second in his Price Of series, which began with The Price of Safety. He lives in Florida.
Q: This is the second in your Price Of series--did you know when you started the first novel that you'd write a sequel?
A: No, I didn’t. The Price of Safety is a complete story, but its ending opened up a larger adventure. It’s like what happened at the end of the movie The Matrix. Neo has become the “one” and defeated Agent Smith—so what happens next? My story had a similar type of ending.
The Price of Rebellion is the next step in the trilogy, a deeper and richer tale where Dray Quintero fully accepts that what he’s discovered cannot be ignored any longer and joins the rebellion.
Readers don’t need to read The Price of Safety before reading The Price of Rebellion. I included quick summaries of the pertinent information readers need in order to understand Dray Quintero’s world. It’s more about the journey he and the other main characters take in this book, and how it changes their world.
Q: Do you think your character Dray Quintero has changed from one novel to the next?
A: Definitely. In The Price of Safety, he was focused on protecting his children. He was resistant to join the fight to free everyone. In The Price of Rebellion, though, he’s committed to the fight. He’s also more decisive, more focused. And during the story, he’s forced to make a terrible decision, torn between the rebellion and his deeper need.
Q: What inspired the plot of The Price of Rebellion?
A: Part of the inspiration was the way The Price of Safety ended. The world expanded, and the stakes increased, so The Price of Rebellion was the next step.
But with this, I was inspired by the thought: how would you actually take down a government—not the entire government but those who used technology to steal the identities of those duly elected? How do you defeat an agency protecting that secret? And how would Dray Quintero balance that fight with his need to protect his daughter, after having lost another one?
Q: How did you create the world of 2047 that you write about in your novels?
A: I did a ton of research on emerging technologies, to get a sense for the kind of technology the world may have, and incorporated many of those into the story. Life was a lot different 25 years ago, and I suspect it will also be changed in many significant ways 25 years from now.
In addition, I took existing technology, like drones, and imagined how The Agency could use it and other tech to monitor us, track us, and hunt us. Yet families and people will essentially be the same. They will still love, hate, and fight for what they believe in.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on the third book in the series. It’s already mapped out, and I’m fine-tuning my notes so I can begin writing the conclusion to the trilogy. I have a ton of surprises in store, with a big finish, but there will be heartache as well.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I will have a table at a number of comic cons/expos this year: Fan Expo Denver (June 30-July 2), Tampa Bay Comic Con (July 28-30), Chicago Fan Expos (Aug. 10-13), and GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio (Dec. 1-3). If you’re planning to attend any of these, stop by and say hi! It would be great to meet you.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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