Nine-year-old Hadley Kosmas was unwittingly propelled into child stardom upon winning American Cook-Off Junior. But with fame came inescapable pressure, and after running away from her tumultuous home life at 18, Hadley used her winnings to pay her way through school and become an engineer.
Now, at 29, Hadley has the chance to participate in another reality competition show called Project Ares, and the prize is life-changing: a one-way trip to colonize Mars. Project Ares promises everything Hadley has ever wanted; an escape from her difficult past, and a chance to explore the universe.
But Project Ares resurrects the turmoil of her past as Hadley is once again thrust into the public eye. Hadley must come to grips with what leaving Earth would really mean for her — and what she would be leaving behind.
Project Ares is a science fiction book set in the very near future, and draws from many familiar sources in popular culture. I was eager to explore the concepts of reality television through a smart, if insecure, protagonist who doesn’t necessarily love the impacts of fame despite her inability to escape it. Traveling to Mars is a trope that permeates much of contemporary science fiction, but I wanted to put my own spin on it, and explore what it actually may feel like to have the chance to leave Earth forever.
Project Ares is largely character-driven, but the suspense of Hadley’s experiences will keep readers intrigued and excited about what comes next. My goal was to write a simple, heartfelt novel, so you can certainly expect an array of interesting characters who will interact with Hadley and may change the course of her life.
I’ve been writing speculative fiction since I was a young child, and I enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy. After many years writing short stories, this is one of my current forays into novels. I look forward to bringing this book to life and sharing it with the world!