Musings of 2013: Mindee Arnett

Mindee Arnett?! You don't know who that is? Oh.. you do? GOOD. If you don't know who Mindee Arnett is, you need to go do some googling. And get your cash out because you're going to have to buy Avalon after reading her wonderful post. Just saying. She's cool. Reallll cool.

In this case, I'm posting book info first...

Title: Avalon
Author: Mindee Arnett
Pub Date: January 21st, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Page Count: 432

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Chapters Indigo

Now to the post...

The Top 5 Things You Might Want to Know about Avalon

Hello, my name is Mindee Arnett and you killed my…wait, scratch that. Wrong post. Instead of lame Princess Bride cracks, I’m here to tell you about my upcoming sci-fi thriller, Avalon. And since time is short, for both you and me, I’ve decided to give you the top 5 things you might want to be aware of before diving in. 

1.      Jeth Seagrave.

Jeth is the main character of Avalon. The book is written in the third-person from entirely his viewpoint. He’s 17 at the start of the book and is the leader of a gang of teenage spaceship thieves. Naturally, he’s a bit of a bad ass and initially thinks of himself as indestructible. 

2.      Avalon

Avalon is the name of Jeth’s spaceship. Really, she is the seventh member of Jeth’s crew. Here’s a description of her right out of the book:

She was a Black Devil spacecraft, old enough to be considered a classic, but still as tough as they came. With her streamlined body, she looked more weapon than ship, something fierce and predatory. She was the best, most versatile spaceship around, fast and powerful, yet still capable of deep-space exploration. And with her own metadrive, she could take him anywhere he wanted and be completely off the ITA’s radar.

3.      Metadrives, ITA, and other science-y things

If you read the above quote, you might be wondering what the heck is a metadrive or the ITA? Well, metadrives are the equivalent of the hyper drive in Star Wars. It’s the technology that allows spaceships to travel faster than the speed of light. The ITA is the Interstellar Transport Authority. These are the guys who monitor and police all space travel and who also manufacture all metadrives. They have a monopoly on space travel, in other words. As far as the other science-y things, I’m here to tell you not to fret. All the science in Avalon is “soft” and reader friendly.

4.      The Romance Question

Is there a romance in Avalon? The answer is yes. However, it’s not the emphasis of the story. The romantic interest doesn’t even show up until several chapters in. And no, there is not a love triangle anywhere in sight. 

5.      The Series Question

Avalon is the first book of two. The sequel—and conclusion—should come out around the same time next year. There’s also a prequel novella, Proxy, which is on sale right now for the Kindle or Nook. The events in Proxy, do play a significant part in book 2, particularly in regards to character. So I hope you check it out!

And a big thanks to Nova for inviting me here today. Happy holidays!

Avalon's prequel, PROXY is also available to buy. Download here.

Author Info

Mindee's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website |

YA Author of THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR, a contemporary fantasy coming March 5, 2013 from Tor Teen (Macmillan) and AVALON, a YA sci-fi thriller coming Winter 2014 from Balzer+Bray (HarperCollins). Represented by the fabulous Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. Addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space.

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