Guest Post by Jill Cooper

“Hollywood died, and took half the world with it.”

The first line in chapter three of Glistening Haven, was the first sentence I wrote for the novel. Little did I know how big the scope of the novel would grow from such a simple sentence.

 

 

Government conspiracies, segregation, racism, a policed state, paranoia, 1950s Happy Days Utopian society, murder, scapegoats, and in the middle of it all, two love sick teenagers with a dangerous secret.

 

But really the story boils down to one important question: Would you risk it all to reveal the truth? 

 

Our culture is obsessed with beauty and celebrity. From realty TV turning people into celebrities who shouldn’t be, to magazines, to internet gossip sites, it’s everywhere.

 

Even in day to day life we have creams, injections, pills, all promising to keep us young, and beautiful for as long as possible.

 

What if all this pursuit of beauty came with a price?

1950s Utopia

 What was left of the human population seized control and won over the ever changing glistenings. (Which never happens in a zombie apocalypse novel, but I guess I’m just an optimist)

But the Glistenings lust for anger was weaning and they were evolving. No longer just blood thirsty monsters, they wanted more.

And rather be wiped out they were segregated into dome communities using technology and magic to keep them separated from regular society.

It was discovered along the way by the newly formed New Haven Intuitive that the era of the 1950s kept the glistening calm, docile as a family pet.

Each New Haven community camp is what you might expect from Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver: Sock hops, poodle skirts, Tupperware parties, malt shops. Each New Haven is exactly the same (a spin on houses lining a suburban street in a housing community).

 

A Police State

It was pretty fun to create a 1950s community that really contains monsters where everything appears perfect, but isn’t. The glistenings appear to be living a charmed life, but underneath all, they are terrified.

Communications are recorded, phones are bugged, every room of their homes have security monitors. They wear bracelet communicators so they can never go off grid. And if one of them says something or does something they shouldn’t, the police arrives.

And then things are never the same.  The New Haven Police call it reconditioning, a nice word for torture, brain washing, and if none of that works, death.

But as long as the glistenings keep their heads down, don’t talk about their hidden feelings, pretend to be normal, everything will be fine…

 

Absolute Power

If a government agency had absolute power, would they ever be ready to give it up, even if they had proof they had been wrong all along?

That’s the main question facing The New Haven Initiative. For decades they have been practicing above the law in the United States, Canada, and Europe. They answer to no one. Not Congress and not the other government agencies such as FBI or CIA.

Inside the New Haven Initiative ,there are two factions. Those that believe in law, order and maintaining peace between humans and glistenings. And the other is loyal to Alistar Humphrey, head of the Initiative and do exactly what he asks.

Some say he is corrupt. Some say The New Haven Initiative has become a private task force to perform whatever wish he desires. And with no oversight, there’s no one to stop him. If someone were to stop him, it’d have to come from within.

 

 

About Jill Cooper:

Jill Cooper loves tea more than coffee and is obsessed over finding that perfect recipe. She lives in Danvers, MA with two cats, a toddler, a husband, and a 1964 yellow taxi. Her life is chaotic, but fun. She is currently working on a new Sci-fi thriller and the sequel to the Dream Slayer. She can be contacted at http://www.jillacooper.com