CHINCOTEAGUE, VA -- The future of humanity hinges on a young professor of environmental science, and her ability to outwit a mysterious Wallops Island institute funding her research, in a suspenseful new science fiction novel authored by a husband-and-wife writing team from Reston, Virginia.
There’s an ever more head-spinning twist in the futuristic plot. There are two versions of the heroine who exist in parallel timelines. They will need to work together if an Ark-like spaceship carrying a few dozen refugees from Earth is able to escape the deadly gravity well of Jupiter and find safe harbor elsewhere.
When Earth Shall Be No More is garnering enthusiastic praise from advance readers ahead of its May 28 launch date at Sundial Books, an independent bookstore on Chincoteague Island which provides a key setting in the novel.
Bestselling New York Times author Joelle Charbonneau calls the new book “a fascinating sci-fi story of survival,” and adds, “When Earth Shall Be No More will keep readers on their toes until the very end."
Says mystery writer Sherry Harris: "When Earth Shall Be No More hit every emotion as I tried to figure out who to trust in this deftly handled dual timeline sci-fi mystery. The characters drew me into a world so realistic and unique, I had a hard time putting this book down.”
Co-authors Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan are both professors at Northern Virginia Community College. Awad is an independent filmmaker and O’Sullivan is the award-winning author of the Colleen McCabe mystery series set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
This is their first co-authored novel but it will not be their last. It is the first installment in a trilogy.
“When we first got the idea for the book, I was reading Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos,” says Awad. “I’ve also always been a fan of science fiction. We went on vacation to Chincoteague with Kathryn’s family. As we were driving past NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on our way to the island, the juxtaposition of the high tech NASA facility with the charm of Chincoteague struck us as quite unusual. That’s when the idea for When Earth Shall Be No More was born.”
Adds O’Sullivan: “I love the beach and always have. I guess my parents vacationing at two beaches that also have horses – Chincoteague Island in Virginia, and Corolla in North Carolina – made a big impression on me growing up. My mystery series is set in Corolla. It’s wonderful now to have a series set in Chincoteague.”
The authors will greet readers and sign books on Saturday, May 28, from 10:30 am – 12 noon at Sundial Books in Chincoteague, located at 4065 Main St. (across from the Island Theatre). See sundialbooks.net.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Earth Shall Be No More is available in hardcover ($26.95) and ebook ($9.99) format through all major retail channels and select independent bookstores. See www.whenearthshallbenomore.com for more information.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan are an award-winning husband and wife writing and filmmaking team. They have collaborated on feature and documentary films, screenplays, and web series. Paul is a cinema professor and Kathryn is a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College. Kathryn is also the award-winning writer of the Colleen McCabe mystery series. They live in Reston, Virginia. Visit their websites at paul-awad.com and kathrynosullivan.com.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Secant Publishing, LLC is an independent publisher of books set in and around the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. Based in Salisbury, MD, the crossroads of Delmarva, Secant publishes books in all formats – hardcover, paperback, audiobook and ebook. See secantpublishing.com for more information or write editor@secantpublishing.com.
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