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Watched Around the World

Published by Adam on January 11, 2011

Praise for my novel continues to come in! Recently, I got this message from an English teacher who lives in Bolivia. To her, my portrayal of the government in WE, THE WATCHED hit almost too close to home.

I loved it.  The Cold War, secrets kept by the government from the people who elect the government officials from the bottom up, and the ability to access people’s files, calls and computers makes the story believable.  Here, in Bolivia, where I’ve lived for the last 30 years, it’s now illegal to use the word “indio” or to say anything against the president of the republic.  It’s punishable by arrest and jail.  Members of the Press who write in his contra, and politicians who stand up against his injustices, are also jailed.

–M.R.M., English teacher at a bilingual private school in South America

You can buy WE, THE WATCHED for your Kindle, Nook or other eReader from Smashwords.

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Update on Sequel to We, The Watched

Published by Adam on November 15, 2010

Work continues on the sequel to WE, THE WATCHED.

I just downloaded the Windows beta of a writing program called Scrivener. If you’re a Mac user you may have heard of it already. Up until now I had been writing the novel in MS Word, but Scrivener is already making things easier. My old system was having three separate Word documents: 1) an outline 2) the novel itself and 3) bits and pieces I cut from the novel but felt bad about deleting forever.  But this program combines all of that into one working project so that I can easily navigate between scenes and chapters, move them around if I decide Chapter 8 should come before Chapter 7, and take snapshots of passages I decide to cut (just in case).

This is especially handy because, not to brag, but the novel I’m writing has a lot going going on. It alternates perspectives between two characters: Seven and…well, let’s just say it’s someone pretty important from his past (read WE, THE WATCHED and you can probably guess who). And while the new novel takes place after the events of my first book, there’s a healthy dose of flashback, too.

So I’m juggling a lot of concepts, story lines and characters. And trying to write it in a way that won’t alienate those who haven’t read the first book (Speaking of which, what are you waiting for?).  It’s only been a couple days, but Scrivener’s already helping me stay focused. And it’s only in beta.

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Review of ‘Brilliant’ We, The Watched

Published by Adam on October 22, 2010

I’m excited to say that online magazine The American Chronicle just published a rather flattering review of my novel We, The Watched.

There’s action, romance, and social commentary woven into a brilliant story with an amazing plot twist near the end. It’s science fiction in the way that Orwell’s1984 or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury dystopian novels are considered science fiction. In fact, I see shades and shadows of both works in We, The Watched. The writing is nearly on par with these geniuses of the written word. Mr. Bender isn’t quite there yet, but is closing in fast on the masters. Since this is his first published novel, that’s an auspicious start. It’s highly likely that given a bit more time and experience, the novice shall surpass the masters.

The American Chronicle 10/18/2010

Reviewer David Broughton also interviewed me for the story. Check out the full review at http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/193118

For a free sample of We, The Watched and more information, please visit wethewatched.com.  You can buy the eBook at Smashwords.

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Quick Update on New Novel

Published by Adam on July 12, 2010

Things are really starting to come together on my second novel, an apocalyptic romance set after the events of WE, THE WATCHED. It features some of the same characters, but I’m writing it so that you won’t have to have read the first one to understand what’s going on. Reading both might give you a fuller picture, however. Unlike my first novel, this one is written in third-person, past-tense perspective, which has given me a lot more freedom and I think ultimately will be easier for everyone to read.

My goal is to finish writing it by the end of the year, and then send it off to agents, contests, etc., in early 2011. In the meantime, you can get WE, THE WATCHED for $2.99 on Scribd and Smashwords. I’d love to hear any feedback on that book and suggestions for the new one in the comments section below.

Update: You can now get 50% off the price of WE, THE WATCHED on Smashwords, formatted for your Kindle or other eReader. Deal expires July 31.

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Now on Smashwords!

Published by Adam on May 14, 2010

I’m excited to announce that WE, THE WATCHED is now available through Smashwords, an indie eBook publisher. This means you can now download my novel about government surveillance and propaganda in multiple formats that will look great on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nook or other popular reading device! Through Smashwords, the book is now listed on several popular iPhone apps, and will also soon be available on many popular eBook stores including Sony, Apple, and Barnes & Noble.

Smashwords strips most of the page formatting out of the book so it is more compatible with eReaders. However, if you want a PDF that looks more like a real book, please check out the book on Scribd. The full eBook costs $2.99, but you can read the first several chapters for free.

One more thing! If you like WE, THE WATCHED or my other writings, please become a fan of my new Facebook page. Thanks.

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Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog