Tag Archives: Replicate

Copy That

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This week I was preparing for another out-of-town event. As I sorted stock, I realised I was opening my last box of Replicate paperbacks. (Apologies for the terrible post title pun … but, hey, replicate … copy … Ahhh, how about we move on … lol.) For those who aren’t familiar with the Blaine Colton trilogy, I’ll drop a Replicate marketing tile below as a refresher. 🙂

The day was warm, but as I packed books and loaded the car for my trip, it didn’t take long for me to start sweating uncomfortably. While travelling to the city where that event was being held, I watched the external temperature climb on the car thermometer through some regions, hitting the Queensland-typical heights our state is known for during this spring to summer transition season. That’s when we usually see our most spectacular storms, which you’ll also read about in Replicate, given it’s set in the lead up to Christmas and through into the New Year.

In that moment I had a flash back to a day in December, all but ten years ago. It had been a comparable season and I was at the midpoint of the Replicate manuscript, pressing towards a completion deadline. I was sitting in a chair, sweat beading down my body, wetting my clothing and chair seat. The temperature was hovering around 43/44 degrees Celsius (109.4 to 111.2 Fahrenheit for the Americans out there). There was no air-conditioning where I was writing, and barely a breeze. I’d spent some days wrangling with Blaine and Jett, writing out their ‘bromance adventure’ to the Sunshine Coast. Five thousand words later, after letting them lead the related scenes, we were no closer to the pivot point that would catalyse the next part of the story.

I tried many different versions of that scene sequence until, finally, I realised there was only one thing that would back Blaine into such a tight a corner to make him resolved enough to enact the plan critical to hitting the remaining plots points and reaching the story resolution, within my target word count. And it was not an option I really wanted to entertain. (Many of you know what I’m talking about …)

This leads me to an exciting (and considerably more uplifting, for those who have read the trilogy) announcement. As you may remember, I have been chipping away at Jett’s story over the past few years. I refer to it as book 1.5 in relation to the trilogy, as it sits between Integrate (book one) and into the first half of Replicate. Well, that manuscript is completed and I’m finally at a point where I feel like this novella might become a reality in the coming period.

So, keep you ears tuned for more news on this, and like Blaine in Replicate I hope you’re starting to get in a festive spirit leading up to Christmas 2024. It won’t be long before we’re singing carols and stringing up tinsel. Enjoy! 🙂

Some Kind of Human

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PLEASE NOTE: This blog contains details that may distress some readers.

They say reality is stranger than fiction, and recent reports based on information acquired through ‘Freedom of Information Act’ suits revealed that is consistently true.

As you may know, my young adult novels are near science fiction. This means these stories are based around science that feels like it could happen, but in reality pushes out the boundaries of what is actually possible. That is, unless science catches up. Unfortunately, when you write stories exposing the underbelly of bioethics, that’s not always a good thing.

Replicate is the second novel in the ‘Blaine Colton Trilogy’ and it broaches the issue of embryonic cloning (hence the title). This sees Blaine accidentally uncover an international crime syndicate that appears to be selling off embryonic body parts—amongst other things. Fiction, right?

Actually, this idea was sparked by genuine reports of foetal-organ-trafficking. As I delved into it, there was clear evidence that this was occurring. Around the time of Replicate’s release, a report detailed the NIH had received funding to purchase human brains and organs from aborted babies to “spare mice pain and suffering”. This is despite the fact unborn babies feel pain and are not offered pain relief as they are dismembered during abortion procedures. The same article explained how there was an organ-processing service that would collect the bodies of aborted babies from clinics, dissect out their organs for individual packaging, then send those tissues to labs for research. Some even sent whole heads to “preserve fragile neural tissue”.

This practice of organ harvesting for profit was again reported in April 2017 with admissions of price haggling over “specimens” from unborn babies as old as 24 weeks in utero. Fast track some years 


In June 2020, The Federalist reported that witnesses made statements under oath revealing “women’s healthcare” providers had dissected organs out of babies born alive. (Apparently some babies ‘“just fall out” of some women in the operating room’. Like, what?!) More recently, information acquired under FOIA included a price list for—you guessed it—body parts of aborted babies.

Photo Credit: Stillborn, Nicci Coertze Kruger from Pixabay

Cuts a little close to the bone, true? But it gets even more bizarre 


April this year Judicial Watch released an article detailing FDA purchases in recent years of fresh “foetal organs” to create “humanised mice” for the testing of biological drugs. (Yep, you read that correctly.) Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) based in California was contracted to supply human foetal tissue “with a gestational age of 16 to 24 weeks”. In March 2019 a lawsuit ordered HHS to release records about harvested tissue from aborted babies, with ‘
 [t]he court [finding] “there is reason to question” whether the transactions violate federal law barring the sale of fetal organs.’

And yet 
 (Do we EVER learn???)

In April 2021 the Biden administration reversed President Trump’s policy that protected ‘
 preborn Americans from the callous dehumanization of organ harvesting and further desecration of their bodies in research disguised as “science.”’ In June 2021 The Federalist report revealed boards overseeing human foetal tissue research, with the power to block research proposals for ethical reasons, were shut down. Also, the Centre for Medical Progress revealed shocking reports of NIAID at NIH funding studies that involved stitching the scalp of 5-month-old aborted babies onto rats for experimentation, along with killing infants delivered alive for harvesting of livers. And it gets even weirder, with other reports of guidelines for research surrounding the creation of human-animal (otherwise known as ‘chimeras’), and more.

Photo Credit: Animal, Tibor Janosi Mozes from Pixabay

Even in light of my latest work in progress, where aborted children are being misused for a hellish, high-tech ploy, these above examples make my science fiction seem tame. I will not destroy the plot twists for you in the event this story gets published, but these organ-trafficking reports deliver alarming parallels to a number of elements in this new story. This unthinkable commoditising of the most vulnerable humans in our world makes me wonder when we’re going to stop and allow the horror of what this truly means to seep in. Large numbers of these are children who would have had an excellent chance of survival outside the womb. And yet, they are reduced to just another ‘cut of meat’ for the butcher to serve to their clients.

As always, the truth is much stranger, and significantly more horrifying, than fiction.

Author Interview: Blaine Colton trilogy

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For the next couple of posts I thought I’d follow up my latest blog by sharing some more interviews. But this time it’s me being interviewed!

In the interview linked below I’m talking to Wombat Books/Rhiza Press Director, Rochelle Manners, about the Blaine Colton trilogy. This brief chat is a nice prelude to what’s coming next time … but more about that then. 😉

For now, I’ll hand you over to Rochelle.

Author interview: Blaine Colton trilogy & writing with Rochelle Manners

(Dis)Ability Action Week QLD

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Del signingSaturday I received copies of my new novel Activate hot off the press and had the pleasure of sharing it with attendees at the Omega Writers Book Fair 2016. Technically its release date is Nov 1, 2016, but with next week (Sept 11-17) being Disability Action Week 2016 in Queensland, I can’t think of more perfect timing.

You see, Blaine Colton, the hero of the Integrate trilogy, is a young man acutely aware of the stigma and challenges disability can represent. Having survived mitochondrial disease and received a gene-modifying cure, he has been given a second chance. But things aren’t perfect for the teenager, and he’s never forgotten where he’s come from – nor where he could very well end up. (But you’ll have to read the books to find out more … 😉 )

The motto of Disability Action Week celebrations is: ‘Inclusion: It’s a game changer’. And I love it. In fact, I’d love to apply it in every circumstance. I’ve seen how easily we (and I include myself in this) can disregard others because they don’t fit. Whether this be determined by a ‘click’ group, trends, or someone who simply doesn’t meet some predetermined criteria for abilities on the sports field or whatever activity is on the table, people get left out. Add what can be perceived as limitations, and it can be all too easy to discard people from our plans.

No one likes being excluded.

ActivatemedAs a parent I often find myself saying, ‘Ensure you’re being inclusive.’ In reality this has to be a purposeful decision and is largely influenced by the type of disability present. For example, if someone is mobility impaired, accessibility to venues, terrain and physical requirements of an event or activity need to be well considered. Some disabilities are not obvious, and might involve environmental or emotional triggers. Often a lot of little things are overlooked by well meaning people for sheer lack of awareness. (As I have done myself, at times.)

Many people I know living with a disability are fiercely independent and very capable. When it comes to solutions, they are brilliant for nutting things out. By communicating and working with people, instead of assuming the limitations of their capacity, inclusion becomes a way of thinking and truly can ‘change the game’.

 

Glimpses of Light Tour

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GOLCoverCan you believe it’s already blog nine for the Glimpses of Light Anthology (GOL) tour? From the first post by Nola, we’ve been treated to unique insights by participating contributors, celebrating this project inspired by the ‘International Year of Light’.

Today I’m taking the baton from author, blogger and lover of life, Mimi Emmanuel. (Don’t you love a good relay? 🙂 ) And I’m going to be reflecting on kaleidoscopes.

For many of us, the word ‘kaleidoscope’ evokes childhood memories of peering into a cylindrical tube to watch patterns of changing colours from light reflected via mirrors, through coloured pieces of glass. The patterns were often exquisite and unique. Turn and look from a slightly different angle, and there would be a completely different combination of colours.

Coincidently (or not 🙂 ), my contribution to GOL was a story titled Kaleidoscope. But you see, this is not at all what I was going to write about today. I had a fun blog about pushing through the 7K barrier all ready to upload (more on that another day), but as I sat down to finalise that post, my thoughts turned to the collective whole that is GOL. And it occurred to me what perfect a description ‘kaleidoscope’ is.

Kaleidoscope (my story that is, not the tube) is different to what I usually write. For a long time it also struggled to find a home. Yet there it is finally in print, nestled between the works of Jo Wanmer and Ellen Carr, enhanced by beautiful gems, being the words of all the other contributors, polished and displayed in such a way they catch and reflect the light in an exquisite combination of colours.

Now, Kaleidoscope’s probably not a story that will knock someone over by its brilliance, but it was fun to create and an entertaining read. Yet, set amongst such a fabulous collation (and many of the works truly are fabulous – you must read them), it brings so much more than it could as a standalone piece. Kaleidoscope has become something far more inspiring. It’s become part of a literary … kaleidoscope. 🙂

But don’t just take my word for it, as Xanthe says in Kaleidoscope, it’s like, ‘Patterns of light revealing the soul. And you, mere mortal, can catch a glimpse of it.’

So mortals, don’t miss your opportunity to purchase your own GOL copy (print or e-book), and more for your friends. All profits go to CBM, bringing sight to the blind.

And if you leave a comment on this blog post (sorry, excludes GOL contributors 🙁 ), you will have a chance to win a paperback copy of my recently released YA novel Replicate, second book in the Integrate trilogy. I’m giving one copy away to a randomly selected ‘commenter’ in celebration of this tour.

But don’t stop reading yet. On the 29th January, you can continue the GOL blog tour trail, with fellow contributor Josephine-Anne Griffiths. 50-something young, Jo’Anne, has relished writing and reading from her childhood. She has a fascinating family history, shares her world with her dream-come-true HoneyBun, and is currently working on fictional memoir Charlie Dreams. Can’t wait to read her post.