THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - DARK WAVES (MIND HACKERS Series Novella) by Amanda Uhl

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
DARK WAVES (Mind Hackers Series Novella)

 

Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Amanda Uhl's DARK WAVES (Mind Hackers Series Novella)!

SYNOPSIS:

DARK WAVES is part of the Mind Hacker Series, about a group of government agents who have psychic abilities and work for the U.S. government’s Cognitive Mind Unit (CMU). Their job is to guard the nation’s intellectual property, by protecting the minds of the nation’s brightest scientist, inventors, and politicians. Sometimes this involves erasing memories or changing thoughts. 

I highly recommend readers start with the first two books in the series, MIND WAVES and CROSS WAVES, so they understand the world before reading DARK WAVES. Otherwise you may be confused with the world-building. 

DARK WAVES is a short, 20,000-word novella, which features a side character introduced in the first book in the series, MIND WAVES. The story follows Kevin Jorgensen, a mind hacker who was hurt on the job and suffers from hallucinations. He is afraid he is losing his mind and will hurt those he loves, so he has left the CMU and keeps himself far away from those he loves.

 

What is the sub-genre and trope?  Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?

I call the Mind Hacker series, “romantic suspense with a paranormal twist.” The books read like contemporary romantic suspense novels, and readers might believe they could take place in the real world.

 

Are you more character or plot driven?

I am definitely more character-driven but that is not the case with Dark Waves. Because it is such a short novel, I needed a tightly woven plot that would help build the suspense. That was a difficult task, but I was excited to see one recent reviewer recognize this. The reviewer from Reader’s Favorite said, “I was amazed at how much character development the author was able to achieve in such a short space of time and this is a real credit to her abilities.”

 

With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind?  Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?

This is difficult but I have gone back to read the first two books in the series and always do a Pinterest board for each of my books, which helps. Readers can check out the board inspiration for Dark Waves here.

 

I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own.  Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?

This book was straight-forward in that respect. Because it was short and I primarily dealt with the two main characters, there weren’t any surprise directions or new characters. I did go into more detail on Kevin’s brother, Jordan, who was also mentioned briefly in the first book in the series, Mind Waves.

 

Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?

Not specifically but I know every author draws on their life experiences, so I would say Kevin and Jordan are drawn from a conglomeration of men I know and the special bond between brothers I have witnessed with my own two sons.

 

Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?

I placed myself in the POV of the heroine in the story—she takes on a lot of responsibility in life, something I (and I’m sure many other busy females) can identify with.

 

Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?

The harder scenes to write were in the middle of the book in the chapters leading up to the dark moment. Because I had done a lot of plotting before I started writing, this book was easier to write.

 

What is your favorite book in the series?

I do love Cross Waves and am excited to get started on the third, yet unwritten book, called Dream Waves.

 

I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?

One of my favorite characters was introduced in CROSS WAVES (book two in the series) and I have yet to fully explore. His name is Caleb Stone, and he will be the focus of book three, Dream Waves. Caleb is “…a creature of nighttime dreams and smoke and mirrors, a shadow of a man, more figment of imagination than flesh and blood.”

 

Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?

I really loved David and Grace in MIND WAVES. She is an ordinary person and he has an extraordinary ability and yet, he really needs her in his life. It was fun to write and watch the dynamics of their relationship unfold throughout the book.

 

How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?

It’s not easy. One thing that helps is to write the book as fast as I can, so there aren’t distractions or I’m not pulled away from the characters.

 

What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you?  Why?

I love the scene in the grocery store at the beginning of the story, when the hero learns of the heroine when he “catches” a stray thought from accidentally reading her mind.

 

Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?

CROSS WAVES was aptly named and extremely difficult to write. It only took me four years!

 

This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book.  It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series.  I feel that it gives the story further depth.  Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline? 

I have done this is a full length novel, but not for the short novella. I really like doing this and will definitely do it again for the longer books.

 

How long did it take you to write this book/series?

I first published MIND WAVES in Oct. 2016 and I’m releasing Dark Waves May 2022, so it’s been six years so far and I’m not done yet!

 

How did you come up with the title for your book and (if applicable) series?

I came up with Mind Waves first and like repeating “waves” in the title, as they symbolize the idea of energy waves. There are two more planned books in the series, Dream Waves and Love Waves.

 

If you met these characters in real life would you get along?

Absolutely…I write paranormal romance because I’m a bit paranormal myself. I often blog about my experiences on my website, www.amandauhl.com.

 

Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?

I didn’t know when I started writing MIND WAVES that it would be a series but I quickly discovered that it would work well as one and came up with the ideas for the rest of the books. DARK WAVES was not originally planned but I thought it was a great story to tell and hope readers enjoy the add-on.

 

If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?

Hmm…I’m out sure on this one. Maybe readers can help me think of who should play these roles?

Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next?  Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series?  Can you share a small tease?

I have two currently yet unpublished full novels with my agent — Healing Kiss, a paranormal romance, and Sweet Stuff, a contemporary romance. Both books have won contests. You can learn more on my website: www.amandauhl.com.

Up next in the Mind Hackers Series will be DREAM WAVES. This story will feature Julia Jorgensen and Caleb Stone. As the title conveys, the novel will feature powerful psychics 

 

 Check out all my interviews/reviews for Amanda Uhl!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-at-glance-amanda-uhl.html#more

BIO:

Award-winning author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was "born" into it.

After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master's degree in marketing.

Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently specializing in cyber security.

Amanda is an avid reader and writes fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio.

When she's not reading or writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

 Connect w/ Amanda!

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Get MIND WAVES today!

https://amzn.to/43LGRH4

BLURB:

If he can control her mind…
Government operative David Jenkins is skilled at controlling his emotions. Feelings are lethal when your job is to infiltrate minds, erase and implant thoughts, and guard the nation’s intellectual capital. But even he can’t fight his strange attraction to Grace Woznisky. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from a madman intent on possessing both their minds. Neither suspect their dangerous enemy has a larger motive, and David may be Grace’s only chance for survival.

Can he control her heart?
All freelance artist Grace wants is steady-paying work and to see her flighty sister to the altar. But after David offers her a job, she finds herself in the middle of a mental tug of war—one that has her reeling from nightmares and fighting for her life. She must decide: Are her growing feelings for her new boss authentic, or is she a victim of his mind-altering abilities?

Get CROSS WAVES today!

https://amzn.to/3MTlXjq

BLURB:

She can kill with a thought.
Gifted with an explosive psychic talent, Geneva Ericksen can’t risk letting Rolf Jorgensen in her life. If she does, she might accidentally kill him. But when Rolf’s sister goes missing, Geneva and her extraordinary abilities may be his only hope to find her.

He’s hiding a deadly secret.
Rolf‘s not about to let Geneva slip away from him, even if it means protecting her from his dark gift. As Rolf and Geneva trail his sister, they soon uncover a life-threatening plot: someone is attempting to profit from stealing and trapping their power in crystals.

To outsmart the enemy, it will take all their combined strength. But can they trust each other enough to survive?

Get DARK WAVES today!

https://amzn.to/43QWqxd

BLURB:

A fearless doctor

Paranormal psychiatrist Dr. Audrey Gilbert is not used to failure, especially when it comes to her career. She possesses an uncanny ability to see into her patients’ souls and mend their brokenness. When she misdiagnosis a patient and is fired, she is given a chance to regain her job. Her task? Restore the health of a deranged mind hacker. But safeguarding her heart while convincing the detached and bitter man to trust her, just might be the challenge of a lifetime.

A tormented hacker

Born into a family of powerful psychics, Kevin Jorgensen has always had a quick wit and a sunny disposition. But that was before he nearly lost his life battling a rogue mind hacker. Now he spends his days in isolation, fighting for his sanity. He swears never to use his gift, not even if he’s drawn to the woman determined to help him recover.

A battle for survival

When Audrey and Kevin discover someone has tampered with her mind, they must work together to determine why. Because if they fail, their lives and the lives of many other hackers will be destroyed.