The scoop on Tunnel Vision

Hi all!!

Since I've gotten a couple requests for more information on TUNNEL VISION, I thought it might be good to put the info in one place. Easily accessible and complete.

Weird concept, I know. But sometimes I get these crazy brain flashes, and...here you go.

TUNNEL VISION FACTOIDS:

The Story, short version: 
A teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling—he can sense where anyone in the world is (and what they’re seeing) by holding something they own—comes under the uncomfortable attention of the U.S. government, and suddenly has to balance normal life with psychic-spy life.

The Story, long version: 

Jake Lukin just turned 18. He's decent at tennis and Halo, and waiting to hear on his app to Stanford. He's also being followed by a creep with a gun, and there's a DARPA agent waiting in his bedroom.

His secret is blown.

When Jake holds a personal object, like a pet rock or a ring, he has the ability to "tunnel" into the owner. He can sense where they are, like a human GPS, and can see, hear, and feel what they do. It's an ability the government would do anything to possess: a perfect surveillance unit who could locate fugitives, spies, or terrorists with a single touch.

If he doesn't agree to help the government, his mother and sister may be in danger. Suddenly Jake's juggling high school, tennis tryouts, flirting with Rachel Watkins, and work as a government asset, complete with 24-hour bodyguards.

Forced to lie to his friends and family, and then to choose whether to give up everything for their safety, Jake hopes the good he's doing—finding kidnap victims and hostages, and tracking down terrorists—is worth it. But he starts to suspect the good guys may not be so good after all. With Rachel's help, Jake has to try to escape both good guys and bad guys and find a way to live his own life instead of tunneling through others.

Who's Publishing It:
Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press. My editor is the fantastic and super-cool Brendan Deneen.

When's It Coming Already?
Currently scheduled for early 2015! I'm part of the Fearless Fifteeners debut author group. Yes, we are (mostly) fearless. Especially about deadlines and juggling books.

Who's the Audience?
Um, ANYONE WHO LIKES TO READ. It's listed as a YA thriller, but I'm going with that. It's got spy stuff and car chases and guns in a cemetery and video games, but also Rachel-who-will-not-be-left-out, and Jake's disturbingly smart little sister Myka, and Liesel Miller, who frankly kind of scares me.

Who Is Your Agent?
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the amazingly patient and persistent Kate Schafer Testerman of ktliterary. TUNNEL VISION is also represented for film/tv rights by Jon Cassir of Creative Artists Agency. 

What else would you like to know? Let me know in the comments if I left out any burning questions!

A little more TUNNEL news

HI AGAIN.

I can't believe I haven't actually posted since the sale announcement. It's just--well, things change after a sale.  Quickly, sometimes! I went to New York for BEA (I swear I will post pictures of that), and it was amazing, but one of the best parts was getting to meet with my agent and my editor (in the Flatiron Building!) and talk about all things book-related. Of course, I came out of that meeting with revisions to do, and a deadline. So that's what I've been up to, basically. You can catch me on Twitter still, but the blog may be light until revisions are turned in. The great thing is working on THE TUNNEL again is making me absolutely giddy. I'd forgotten quite how much I really love these characters, so it's a joy to be able to be there with Jake again.

AND...my fabulous TUNNEL team is growing!! I am so happy to announce that film/tv rights for THE TUNNEL are now represented by Jon Cassir, of Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.

And yes, this does all get very surreal occasionally, thank you for asking. And yet ALL GOOD.

Hope you all are well and having a great summer. If you'll excuse me, I have some revisions to get to...

NEWS!!! for THE TUNNEL

HI.

*tries to act cool and relaxed and...*

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I can't do it. I can't act cool and relaxed anymore!!

So about a year ago, Nova Ren Suma very kindly hosted my Turning Point story on her blog--about how I quit writing out of sheer frustration (10 years of trying and banging my head against a wall), but a story saved me and brought me back. The full post is here, on Nova's blog.

THE TUNNEL is a book of my heart, a story I kept in my head and told only to myself for two months, until it finally poured out of me. It's a thriller, and a spy story, but it's also about family and love and self-sacrifice, with gaming and chases and secrets thrown in. Jake, the main character, lives in my head to a startling degree. I said in the end of that Turning Points post that I hoped you'd be able to read the book someday too.

GUESS WHAT??? YOU WILL!!!!!

I am so, so over-the-moon thrilled to announce that THE TUNNEL is going to be published by Brendan Deneen at Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press), in 2014!! Here's the announcement from today's Publisher's Weekly:

In a second deal coming out of St. Martin’s Press this week, Brendan Deneen bought world English rights to Susan Adrian’s debut, The Tunnel. The YA thriller, which Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary sold, is set for a summer 2014 release. In the novel, a teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling—he can decipher where anyone in the world is (and what they’re doing) by holding something they own—is brought to the attention of the U.S. government. Adrian, a former ballerina, lives in Montana.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (there are not enough exclamation points)

Traditionally, we do the Snoopy Dance on this blog for good news:

But today I went one step further. In honor of Sparky, Thomas Dunne's mascot and colophon, I give you the Sparky Dance:

I am also like THIS:

HUGE thank yous to both Brendan, for believing in the book, and my unstoppable agent, Kate Schafer Testerman, for NEVER giving up. Also to Team Sparkle, who have been there at my back forever, and the Sub Club for handling all the daily angst. And, you know, my family for living with the crazy.

I am ecstatic to be working with Brendan on this. He absolutely GETS the book, and Jake, and he fought hard for the book already. I can't wait to dive back into this world again with him!

A friend told me recently that success would be all the sweeter for how long and rough the journey has been. Guys, I've been writing fiction off and on since 2000. I've been seriously writing with a goal of publication since 2003. That's 10 years of trying, and writing different books, and trying again, and watching this happen for so many other dear friends (I LOVE YOU GUYS), and writing and quitting and writing again. It finally happened. I finally got to write this post. IT IS SWEETER. IT IS AWESOME.

AND THE TUNNEL WILL BE ON THE SHELVES NEXT YEAR, OMG.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~! I hope you guys all join me on this journey!