H.A. Raynes's Blog

Waking up to news of the Las Vegas shooting gave me chills. The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history took place at a concert. I wrote about a devastating event just like this about four years ago. And just in the past week a strange story came out of Cuba about Sonic Weapons being used against U.S. diplomats. I used such a weapon in my earlier writing as well. It was surreal to read about it in the news. 

Since publishing NATION OF ENEMIES (NOE for short) in August 2015, I've had several conversations and received many comments about how my novel is "prescient." Events happened that were disturbingly similar to parts of my plot. From biochips to school shootings, election issues to immigration bans. And though NOE takes place in the near future world of 2032, that world was suddenly closer. Seemingly on our doorstep. 

I began keeping a log of news stories until I couldn't keep up with how often they were being published. Here's a sampling from early last year: (*these are not Nation of Enemies spoilers, things would truly have to go even more awry...)

2/20/16 - Uber Driver Goes on Shooting Rampage in Kalamazoo STORY HERE

2/18/16 - Apple's Battle With The FBI - Brand vs. Privacy  STORY HERE

2/1/16 - DNA Gets Kid Kicked Out Of School  STORY HERE

1/27/16 - New Technology Can Track Workplace Shooters  STORY HERE

1/26/16 - Oregon Militia Stand-Off  STORY HERE

1/26/16 - Danish Parliament approves legislation that enables "Immigration authorities to seize jewelry and other personal valuables from refugees."

1/19/16 - Several MA area high schools receive bomb threats, schools close. STORY HERE

1/16/16 - The genetic breakthrough that may allow scientists to make permanent changes in a person's DNA.  STORY HERE

I had to stop there or this post would be several pages long.

I conjured NOE out of both my imagination and exhaustive research into subjects such as genetics, emergency room medicine, the history of terrorism (both worldwide and within the U.S.), elections, and immigration. 

Horrifyingly,  current events are taking shape that give credence to my imagination. But, more importantly, they demonstrate that certain aspects of our future are very much predictable. Spend an hour (or days, like I did) reading up on genetics and you will see what the future will look like in medicine ten years from now. The same goes for terrorism. In NOE I spent a lot of time educating myself on "lone wolves" and hate groups, reading posts on their websites and trying to understand their mindset. I'll never understand it, but we have to at least know where it's coming from in order to stop the hate from spreading. Because it is surely spreading. 

Since 2014, hate groups in the U.S. have grown by over 17% (and they can be categorized into 10 groups such as Christian Identity, Neo-Confederate, Anti-LGBT, Racist Skinhead, Anti-Muslim, and Neo-Nazi, and more). These groups produce lone wolves with their shared values who act of their own volition. They are unpredictable and don't follow group patterns known to the FBI. They're hard to track, especially if they eschew technology. You get the point. 

I could write another book about this but I won't - I can't - because it's too close to reality. We're already steeped in the horror. At times like this when it's easier to retreat into our comfort zones, to stay at home and to remain in our bubbles of safely that we mistakenly think we live in, I encourage you to read. 

You may not be researching for a book, but you ARE researching for life and your family. The more we all know and understand, the more we can work to change society and rid ourselves ofhate. Because as hate is growing, so should we. 

Someone on goodreads.com asked me this question last week. It took me a few days to answer: 

QUESTION: This election was crazy and so very unprofessional on both sides and I can see the similarity to the Nation of Enemies story. There was too much back stabbing, corruption and digging for something to use to insult and degrade the other party to upscale their own campaign status. I'm interested in reading this book. What was your take on the election or the outcome, or that in comparison to your storyline?

MY ANSWER: Thanks for reaching out. I apologize for the delay in responding…I needed to sit with your question to figure out how best to answer.

In my wildest imagination (or in this case, Nation of Enemies), I did not think it possible to have the country and this election shift our country on such a massive scale. People are hurting on both sides of the fence and I think we’re all reeling over the events of these past several months leading up to - and including - the election. Not in my wildest dreams, though apparently in my imagination, did I dream our country could split wide open. And worse than open, devastatingly apart.

In writing Nation of Enemies, (officially in the hands of HarperCollins in 2014, published in Aug. 2015), I could not have guessed that our own country’s politics just two years later would become enflamed by homegrown terrorists, alt-right views, refugee / immigrant status, people crashing Canada’s immigration site, and talk of creating a “registry” of Muslims. When creating the plot, I did imagine our world divided over civil liberties and I could absolutely see both sides - those clinging to their guns for protection and a “better” way of life off the grid of the political landscape versus those who wanted to flee the United States to gain both freedom and the right not to be judged by their DNA. When writing and presenting both sides, I hope that I achieved a fairness for those who chose either side. Of course, this is a thriller and there is at least one “villain.” Interestingly, depending on the reader, s/he may choose to believe a different character is the true villain.

I do hope you’ll read Nation of Enemies and share with me your thoughts. Thanks again for writing!

Hi everyone!

In the spirit of this election year and all the...colorful(?!) issues that are swirling around us in the news every day, I'm hosting a giveaway for NATION OF ENEMIES! Refugees, candidates' medical histories and questionable ethics...it's a timely thriller, don't you agree? The giveaway is on Amazon (ebook version). People say it's "in the vein of Michael Chrichton and James Rollins" - you can see all the great reviews on goodreads and on Amazon. Here's the link to put your name in the hat! Happy reading!

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/3d64712f6c99e9dd 

And see it here on Goodreads. 

People often ask me how I – a seemingly well-balanced, part-time working mother of two – came up with the plot of my novel, Nation of Enemies, A Thriller. It’s based in the near future in a (civil) war-torn United States with a new caste system based on DNA. I don’t even read thrillers. And yet…it just came to me.

I remember Beatrice, not quite five feet tall, sweet and funny, yet sturdy and fierce when she needed to be. Though I’m sure it was born into her, surely her childhood strengthened those qualities. One day, sitting next to her at a family party, she talked to me about escaping Poland in WWII as a Jewish child. I watched Bea, then in her early 80’s, wavy white hair and grooves in her cheeks that deepened when she smiled. Of course, I’ve read many books and seen several movies on World War II, but there was something about her words that pulled me in that day. This story wasn’t on a screen or in a book. She gripped my arm as she described her neighborhood in Poland, watching her friends and family fleeing, the neighborhood and everything she knew abandoned or destroyed. The realized fear of absolutely everything when you’re meant to be carefree, enjoying the simple moments of childhood.

She leaned closer and asked me, “Imagine that? Everyone and everything you know, just…gone.”

And I did. I thought often of her story. Until one day my imagination wandered and I felt compelled to answer her question. Her question lead to an unfurling of my own, one after the other, unending.

What if I brought the war home, to the United States? To my neighbors. Parents. Children. Government. The FBI. I considered war – civil war – from all sides and on a personal level – how would it affect a person in different positions? What would they think and believe and what is most important to each of those people? What would they die for, risk everything for?

Then, importantly, what could actually spark a war? Obviously we have plenty options for this lately, but I was asking these questions in the year 2003. Something not so far-fetched, pieces of which we read every day in the paper. Terrorists. Technology. Religion. A very real, very frightening scenario emerged. What would Americans do if war moved into their cities, into their suburban neighborhoods?

I read an article about a biochip that is currently being used in people with high-risk medical symptoms or disease. If they are ever in danger and unconscious, the hospital simply scans them and their medical history is revealed and he/she is treated specific to his/her condition.

The possibilities with such a chip are endless. What if the government mandated that citizens get biochips under the guise of protecting them against home-grown terrorists? And what if DNA was included on the imbedded data? Made public and shared with employers, insurance companies, banks. I imagined a rating system, one that would discriminate between those with longevity in their blood versus those with risk of developing disease. A modern-day caste system. Suddenly I had a thread, and then the threads of several characters whose lives would converge at fateful moments throughout the novel.

I got to work. I developed separate outlines for each character, discovered when, where and how their paths would cross. Then came research. Not my favorite part, but it was my own fault for creating characters in worlds I know nothing of. The FBI. The medical community. The medical biochip. The (near) future of technology from weaponry to security at hospitals.

Then came the writing. The completion of a meandering first draft. Thanks to a very talented and highly critical writers group (I might want to hear how brilliant the writing is, but it’s not very productive!) They were always ready with constructive questions and comments. I grew a very thick skin. Another year passed with the second draft. And then a third.

And then, holy mackerel (as I say to my kids), it was…done. Finished. Or at least as far as I could take it. It was time to go after the Holy Grail, or my own personal Holy Grail. A traditionally published novel.

To be continued.   

Nation of Enemies is set in the near future world of 2032 in the United States. People ask me why that year, in particular, and how did I go about creating that future world? First, the choice to set the story in 2032. Integral to the plot is a presidential election, so that was key in determining the year. Next, and importantly, I wanted it to be near enough that we can almost feel it...imagine it. It’s in our lifetime, depending our age. I didn’t want to get caught up in the technological advances which would put Nation of Enemies more in the sci-fi realm, which would make it a different book entirely. And so then came the research. In this world I built, the United States is war-torn, like any war-torn country, wrecked by attacks, non-functioning in many ways. People have left the cities, which are easy targets, and fled either to the countryside or else attempt to emigrate to safer shores. They’re less concerned with technology and comfort and more concerned about the safety of their families. As the economy fails, government spending goes toward fighting the war and maintaining hospitals that are on the front line. A doctor is one of my protagonists and for his point of view, I researched the future of medicine. Genetics, equipment, medicine. How a hospital might function with advances in these areas. I interviewed a friend who is a doctor and used the internet at length. Of course, there’s reality and predictions of what will be in the future. I combined those elements with my imagination. I also combined them with the politics of war when I introduced the legislation of the MedID biochip citizens are forced to wear in 2032. There is an actual biochip in use today, though it is quite simple in comparison to my MedID and how it’s been manipulated by the U.S. government. There’s freedom in creating a future world. I also considered schools - what would happen if schools became even more of a target than they are today? (Though just this week, several schools in my state of Massachusetts had bomb threats.) Knowing that parents are vulnerable, I imagined terrorists using schools to, well, terrorize society on a whole new, emotional level. That forced me to bring all schools online in 2032. Kids attend class virtually, creating a safer but less social educational experience. But children suffer in this way, locked in their bedroom away from friends and situations that foster personal growth. Finally, I researched the future of the internet, the language used by experts in the field, and the hackers who exist in a darker but very real realm. It was both fascinating and frightening to discover the skills of these hackers and how they challenge governments and corporations on a daily basis for their own agendas. To “futurize” my novel, though I used terminology hackers currently use along with society’s (and government’s) fears about their power, I simply ushered them down the path. As firewalls and encryptions become more sophisticated, so do hackers. Already we are experiencing hacks into financial institutions and government agencies - I found it easy to imagine an even more widespread problem, especially when the country is distracted by war. I don’t want to spoil any plot points in Nation of Enemies, but there was an aspect of the Paris Attacks that included an element I used (researched and pushed farther) in terrorist communications. It sent a chill up my spine. My near-future world of 2032 is not one in which I want to live. I’m a hopeful, positive person and I have great hopes for the futures of my children. Sadly, it wasn’t difficult and in fact was quite plausible to imagine the darker side of humanity emerging with the state of the world we live in today. Let’s hope my imagination does not win out.   

In Nation of Enemies, I write about CRISPR (in the future of course, 2032). If you don't know about it, you should. It may just determine the future of your grandchildren...and certainly your great grandchildren. Gene drives could eliminate disease - or destroy everything. 















 This TED talk explains how CRISPR gene drives allow scientists to change sequences of DNA and guarantee that the resulting edited genetic trait is inherited by future generations, opening up the possibility of altering entire species forever. More than anything, the technology has led to questions: How will this new power affect humanity? What are we going to use it to change? Are we gods now? Join journalist Jennifer Kahn as she ponders these questions and shares a potentially powerful application of gene drives: the development of disease-resistant mosquitoes that could knock out malaria and Zika.

Hi Goodreads Community!

I'm working to build reviews for my thriller, Nation of Enemies (HarperCollins 2015). I have (8) copies of the ebook edition available in exchange for an honest review here on goodreads and on Amazon, if you are willing. As you know, reviews are *everything* and it's your word, not mine, that spreads the news about books. Your word is invaluable to authors. Here is a blurb about Nation of Enemies and a link to it both on Amazon and goodreads for you to see if you'd like to read/review:

A thriller in the vein of Michael Crichton and James Rollins. In the near future of 2032, the United States is at civil war, the government pitted against domestic terrorists. By law, citizens wear biochips encrypted with medical information made public under the guise of protecting the innocent. Millions flee the country in search of safer shores. But most remain steadfast at home and an underground revolution begins as the country ramps up for the presidential election. Citizens are left to wonder if they should place their trust in the government who robbed them of their civil liberties, or in a terrorist bent on restoring them.

http://amazon.com/Nation-Enemies-Thri...

For a short time, the ebook edition of Nation of Enemies will be $.99! On sale from 3/28/16 - 4/18/16

Called "Suspenseful. Captivating. Thrilling." and one reviewer had this to say: "In this current election year, it seems only too possible for events such as described in this book to actually take place. A scary but exciting look at a possible future which one can only hope will not be the path we take as a nation."

Purchase links:
Amazon: http://amazon.com/Nation-Enemies-Thri...

B&N: http://barnesandnoble.com/w/nation-of...

Kobo: http://kobo.com/nationofenemies

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/natio...

Recently I was honored to be asked to be a guest on the Live Happy podcast. They wanted me to talk about Creativity and how / where it fits into life, and furthermore, how it contributes to happiness. Luckily, that's sort of my mantra - I'm happiest when I'm writing. And now that I've made it firmly part of my life, balanced between kids, work, husband, dog, house, friends (not necessarily in that order), etc. I'm not letting go. Making time for myself and my creativity is key to the rest of my life. If you have a few minutes, check out the podcast!

Creativity—one of 10 practices for choosing joy on the #LiveHappyNow podcast!

It was hard to believe I was reading news, not fiction. Nature.com's article posed the question: Should you edit your children’s genes?  

When I think back on my life, I wouldn't change a thing. Truly - good and bad - it makes me who I am. But my sister may answer differently. At 34, she's already had three major surgeries. And as she is potentially on the cusp of another, knowing her, she'd likely say something to the effect, "Hell yes, I'd edit out my defective genes!" 

So if given the opportunity,  perhaps she'd be able to delete the degenerative scoliosis gene and clear up that hole in her heart. Now that I'm thinking about it, if such a gene exists, it's tempting to me to obliterate my chronic daily migraines. Hmmm. I know there's a gene - ACTN3  (I wrote about it in Nation of Enemies) that makes people essentially have greater physical power and athletic abilities, strengthening legs among other things. I've always been unathletic...it's tempting to want to change such a trait. But all of it's tempting, and that's the problem. Should we be able to choose? I love making lists and this seems like a good time for one: (caveat - I'm inventing things I assume could be modified by gene editing in the future)

Good Arguments for Gene Editing: 
Cancer
Scoliosis
Heart Disease
Alzheimers
Blindness
Degenerative diseases (a seemingly endless list)

Bad Arguments for Gene Editing: 
Baldness
Athletic inability (ie. the fact I can't throw a ball)
Skin elasticity (if that's a gene?)
Eye color
Increase IQ
Cosmetic choices (again, a seemingly endless list)

Plenty of people would opt-in to many of these. And many wouldn't. But if you can choose to do one...why not do the other? It would only take a generation or two to slide off that slippery slope. To forget that people aren't perfect, physically and mentally. But even with these changes, there is no perfection as I think we all know. I understand the desire to eliminate disease, the pain and suffering caused when bodies fail us. 

Insurance companies are monitoring us more now. They - and our employers - incentivize us if we're healthy. And as we age, we're penalized by rising insurance costs. Crazy, considering that yes, we're aging, and THIS is why we've been paying health insurance our whole lives. And regardless of our age, it goes without saying that we all WANT to be healthy. We're increasingly pushing ourselves with apps and devices like fitbits that help us monitor our movements and to squeeze in a ten-minute exercise session in our busy day. These can certainly be good tools to contribute to a healthy lifestyle. What's not good is when we are required to or asked to share this information to "help" our doctors/insurance companies monitor our care. That's where things are headed.

Food for thought. Recently a journalist asked a young woman born blind if she would erase her blindness, if it had been an option, if she wished she were born with sight. In short, she didn't. She enjoys seeing the world as she sees it. It's what she knows. It's still beautiful, it's still life. It's just not perfect.