https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NGKC4R8
Voodoo Child looks like an exciting science fiction adventure. What can you tell us about it?
Voodoo Child is my debut novel, introducing Viktoriya, the main protagonist of the story. It is Book One of “The Spectrum” series. Set in the near future, she is a very peculiar girl, living on the autistic Spectrum—specifically with High Functioning Autism. So, she is an ‘unlikely hero’ and overcomes many sociological challenges as she comes of age as a marginalized young woman. She is the daughter of principal scientists over the TITAN project, the massive orbital which finally ended global warming. It worked… but with consequences no one saw coming.
Earth is orbiting further from the sun. Time is running out before we fall into a hyper freeze that will render the planet uninhabitable. Viktoriya will do her best to save us all, but unknown and known dangers press close. What some consider a strange behavior may actually provide her with unique gifts that’ll help save humanity… If humanity can be saved.
She must overcome unique challenges, engage in fierce battles, and learn that sometimes the enemy closest to you is the most dangerous of all. And if she fails… well, she and the rest of the world won’t live long enough to cry about the loss.
How long did it take you to write Voodoo Child?
Probably about a year, working evenings and weekends. The story actually came to me many years ago, but I started and stopped it several times. My regular job as a Technical Architect takes all of my daytime hours, so I had to fit writing into evenings and weekends.
What inspired you when writing Voodoo Child?
I live with High Functioning Autism and noticed pretty much all my life, there were no heroes for ‘the rest of us’. My 11-year-old daughter is also a great creative soul and a source of inspiration to me, so I wanted to character to be a girl, in which I could express ‘girl-power’, ‘I can do it, ‘overcomer’, and belief in one’s self. That, and the fact I love science fiction seemed to merge together perfectly.
Can you tell us a little about Viktoriya and what makes her unique?
Viktoriya is not only on the Autistic Spectrum, she also begins to sense a Universal Spectrum in the universe, which it seems only she is aware of. As the Earth falls further into peril, her HFA allows her to see things others simply cannot. As the story progresses, she bonds more and more with the Spectrum, but can she get anyone to listen, or see things the way she does?
What will readers get out of your book?
I hope they see anyone, everyone can make a difference. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, your sociological status or any of that. We can all make a difference and we are important. I think they’ll also get to enjoy some new concepts on space travel, quantum mechanics, supernatural phenomenon, and other great science fiction themes.
When did you decide to become a writer?
Fifteen years ago, but it was a slow start getting the words onto paper.
Is Voodoo Child a standalone book, or do you plan to make it into a series?
Voodoo Child is the first of a five-book series called “The Spectrum”. The series draws from the connected concepts of the themes: the Autistic Spectrum and the Universal Spectrum which Viktoriya uncovers.
How did you come up with the story in Voodoo Child?
I have what some may consider an over-active imagination, and I have loved science fiction for as long as I can remember.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing Voodoo Child?
Yes, keeping my story chapters ordered the way that I needed, sticking to it, re-reading the manuscript for continuity and edits over a hundred times. It’s tough to stick to a project that large, the print page count is right at five hundred.
What do you like to do when not writing?
I like to code, 3D Model and Print, Paint, Sculpt and spend time with my wonderful daughter.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
My novel is here on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NGKC4R8
And Here on Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voodoo-child-rc-kirkland/1140776480?ean=9798985459234
I have my own website here: https://thespectrumbook.com/
And anyone may email me at RCKirkland@TheSpectrumBook.com