Sahara Foley Books and Book Reviews: Meet Dena Nicotra and her latest book: SIMPLE

Meet Dena Nicotra and her latest book: SIMPLE

Tell us about your newest book:

Simple is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes readers into a future that has been forever altered by the same technological advances that were designed to make life simple. Killing zombies would be easier than taking out the biosynthetic humanoids (simps) -- that is if you can tell them apart from a human being before they kill you. The simps are unimaginably clever and equally cruel, which makes for an equal blend of thrills and sarcasm.
(I've already read this book and gave it 4 feathers. You can read my review here.)

What is the story about?

When war broke out in the Far East, the government sent simp soldiers. It was a perfect solution really. No lost lives. No real risk…until someone finds a way to infect the simps with a bug. Just a tiny string of code that slowly chipped away at the polite veneer of artificial intelligence. Now it’s the year 2038 and humans don’t stand a chance. What’s left of the human race has been reduced to squatters living on the run.

Who is the main character?

Hailey “Lee” Pachello is a tough Italian girl with a bad attitude living in the aftermath. She is alone by choice because she doesn’t do people. That’s just more drama and ultimately more pain. She’s lost everyone she ever cared about, and now it’s just about surviving through another day. That all changes when she meets Leonard “Gizzard” O’Malley, the quirky programmer with a plan.

What inspired this tale? How did the story come to you?

I got the idea from a dream I had about a young woman walking down the ruins of a collapsed freeway in the dead of summer. Looking for a place to get out of the sun and rest, she finds a cubby in the rubble and comes across a guy with a laptop. I knew I had to write it out to find out why that guy had a laptop in such a weird setting!

Did you have to research for this novel and if so, why?

I’m sort of a tech-geek and I blended what I know with my imagination. There are some things that I did research, but if I tell you, it will spoil things in the book. Okay, so I researched 3D printing…that’s all I’m saying.

If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn and why?

I guess I was most surprised by the advances in technology with biogenetics. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction as they say. The advances with medical technology utilizing 3D printing is equally impressive to me.

Do you relate to your character?

In a way, yes. I think that the difficulties we face in life shape the way we see the world, and the people around us. Learning to adapt to the difficulties in life isn’t an easy process for any of us.

Is your protagonist anything like you personally?

No. Lee is absolutely nothing like me! She’s tough and sassy and I’m…well, just not. In fact, I found it difficult to write her at times because I would have to step back and tell myself “she wouldn’t do this” or “she would do that.” I deliberately wanted a protagonist that would step away from anything natural to my personality. I will say this though; she was a lot of fun to write.

What made you write this character; what made them important to you or made you want to tell their story?

I wanted to write a novel with a strong, independent female lead that felt confident relying on herself rather than a knight in shining armor. Lee can kick a** and I think that’s pretty great.

Is there anything specific you want readers to know about this piece of work?

Believe it or not, some of the places in the book are real.

It is available now on Amazon in both digital and paperback? If yes, do you have a link available for buying it?