Spinning Monkey Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Dean Lugo
Phone: (603)313-0789
Email: daviddeanlugo@daviddeanlugo.com or talent@spinningmonkeypress.com
Website: https://daviddeanlugo.com/welcome/
Author’s thrilling YA dystopian novel has dark parallels to a conceivable future America.
It’s the near future, and a new fascist America is run by a CEO and The Corporation.
Keene, New Hampshire – April 12, 2022 — It’s been two years since the establishment of the brutal dictatorship The Incorporated Precincts of America and its governing Board, as well as the death of the old America. Sixteen-year-old Joey Cryer has two missions: to keep his six-year-old sister, Julia, safe, and to not die. Author David Dean Lugo brings an all-too-realistic charged YA dystopian novel with Year Zero, the debut title in The Revolution’s Children trilogy.
America first. America last. America always. This is the vow that the CEO leader of the IPA—The Incorporated Precincts of America—pledges to his suffering citizens. With violent protests breaking out in every city, attacks against immigrants, and the national crisis of the Capitol Event, young Joey must keep his vigilance in staying clear of the IPA’s ever-watching Sons of Liberty—its ruthless police force—to avoid becoming “disappeared” with his little sister. This means not maligning the governing body, The Corporation, with any thought, word, or action, or else suffer the consequence.
Two years earlier, before the Second Revolution ended and before the election, Joey’s biggest concern was sitting at the right cafeteria table at his high school or if the girl he liked liked him back. Avoiding the school bully, Harlan Grundy, was always a plus in not getting pummeled. So, it was no big surprise that Harlan became a Son, loyal to The Corporation and carrying out their dirty deeds to keep citizens in check and in fear. The other thing keeping them in line? Fear, starvation, and the threat of death, turning citizen against citizen. And they best not speak any word of dispute on that. The only correct response to a Son? Everything is goodly.
Having lost everything in the revolution’s aftermath, Joey takes an unfathomable risk by helping the near-dead leader of the rebellion, John Doe. Having anything to do with Doe will skip one right past penalties and sanctions all the way to the death penalty, not only for them, but for anyone they love. And yet Joey’s sole mission is keep Julia safe until they can secretly escape to freedom. To do so, he finds he has an unlikely partner in a recently betrayed Harlan. Trusting his former enemy may be the only way to ensure their future—but is it worth the risk for Joey, Julia, and the community?
Lugo masterfully creates a darkly realistic version of a future America, woven with intriguing characters and an engrossing storyline. Inspired by exploring what if?, he says, “I think people are drifting too far away from one another. Putting each other in little boxes based on political party, or gender identity, or whatever instead of just people who are just trying to live the best they know how. We only have this one planet to live on so…we make it together or not at all.”
Year Zero brings together themes of loss and longing, good and evil, and destiny and survival that young adults will relate to. This first title in The Revolution’s Children trilogy will enthrall young adult and adult readers alike who are looking for the next enduring dystopian thriller.
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If you would like more information about author David Dean Lugo and Year Zero, book one in The Revolution’s Children trilogy, please contact daviddeanlugo@daviddeanlugo.com talent@spinningmonkeypress.com or visit https://daviddeanlugo.com/welcome/
Author Bio – David Dean Lugo
Author David Dean Lugo often gets ideas for his stories by wondering what if? In his new young adult dystopian novel, Year Zero, he probed this when writing about a future fascist America run by a governing body called The Corporation and its CEO. Lugo believes that today’s trend of people judging one another too harshly—whether based on their political party, gender identity, or something else—is causing people to drift too far away from one another. His story explores potential extreme ramifications of this.
Lugo believes a great book is one that has believable characters that readers can identify with and relate to. He hopes his stories evoke emotion and thinking from his readers long after the book is closed.
When he isn’t writing thought-provoking YA novels, Lugo enjoys playing guitar, watching movies, playing video/board games, and hanging out with his amazing family. He lives in southwest New Hampshire with his wife Meredith, son Jacob, and their rascally Labrador/Collie mix named Astrid. Year Zero is the first volume in his The Revolution’s Children trilogy.