"It's like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly meets the X-Files."
On a hot late-Spring afternoon in 2010, driving in the foothills with a view to the wide valley floor, I had a vision for a story. Gram Rabbit's song Cowboys & Aliens blared from my car speakers and the groove inspired the plot for my forthcoming novel, H.A.L.F.
That was now over four years ago. A lot has happened in that time. I wrote a first draft and had it looked over by beta readers and a professional editor. And I wrote two other books.
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H.A.L.F., Book 1 by Natalie Wright
Arrives March 4, 2015 |
I'm now in full tilt to finish what I started and launch the first book of the H.A.L.F. series into the world. Time away from the project served me well. Not only have my writing skills grown exponentially through the process of writing other books, but the characters and story have had time to mature as well. What was going to be a three-book series has grown and will now be five books.
H.A.L.F. began as a story told from the perspective of sixteen-year-old Erika Holt who becomes an enemy of state when she chooses to help an alien-human hybrid escape the government lab where he was created.
That's still the essence of the story, but it has become so much more. I've made Erika a year older and this makes the whole story more mature. Instead of falling for the "rich kid" from across town, Erika is already in a relationship with the revamped Jack. Her friend Ian is still along for the ride, but I've done a major overhaul of that character as well. He has a secret that will be revealed in time.
And there there's H.A.L.F 9, aka Tex. When I first began writing the story, he sounded more like a robot than a person. He was likable enough, but the way he spoke and acted belied the fact that he has abilities that make him extremely dangerous - and lethal.
And then there's Commander Lilly Sturgis. She began as a bit of a stereotypical meany. A gad guy (girl) that would probably appear in only the first book then not be heard from again.
But as I wrote more and spent more time with the project, I saw much more potential in the character Commander Sturgis. As I explored her backstory, I saw that there were interesting parallels between herself and my main character, Erika. I also saw, through the character of Commander Sturgis, the road map for four more books.
Oh yes, Commander Sturgis is more than a one-book character! I hope that readers will enjoy the complexity of her character over the entire five-book series.
Alien-human hybrids. Government conspiracy. A reluctant hero. A quiet and mysterious young man with the power to do justice or destroy them all.
Welcome to the world of H.A.L.F.
Three teens become fugitives when they help an alien-human hybrid escape a government lab.
