Two Friends.
One Shattered World.
And a choice that could change everything.
Protopia
by John Calia
Genre: Dystopian Thriller
#1 Amazon Bestseller!
America’s cultural divide turns deadly.
When lifelong friends Olivia and Alexandra find themselves in opposing camps, the bonds of their friendship are tested like never before.
Olivia seeks solace in a socialist utopia that promises protection and belonging, but at what cost?
Meanwhile, Alexandra chases freedom. But can she survive in a community with few, if any, rules?
As their worlds collide and tensions escalate, secrets and lies threaten to destroy the foundation of their relationship.
Can they bridge the gap between them, or will their differences tear them apart forever?
In this gripping tale of loyalty, adventure, and human connection, the stakes are higher than ever. Protopia is a thought-provoking thrill ride that explores the power of friendship in a world on the brink.
If you devour the complex characters of Emily St. John Mandel or the visionary world-building of Octavia Butler, you’ll be captivated by this latest masterpiece by the author of the Amazon best-seller The Awakening of Artemis.
The pounding on Olivia’s front door awoke her at—what time was it? The digital clock on her
nightstand said 3:17 a.m. What the hell is going on?
She pulled on a robe and stumbled toward the foyer, stubbing her toe on a chair leg en route. She
swore under her breath. There were flashing lights in her driveway. The side of the SUV was
emblazoned CYGNUS POLICE. Was it Alexandra?
The pounding continued, echoing in her vaulted ceiling.
“Okay, okay,” she said, her voice hoarse from sleep.
“Sergeant Cynthia Martinez, ma’am,” said the stocky police officer when she swung the door open.
“Sorry to be pounding on your door. We tried calling.”
“Turned my phone off,” she replied, still trying to overcome the sleep fog. “What? I mean, why…
why are you here?”
“They’re coming for you,” Martinez said.
“They?… Who?… I mean, who are ‘they?’ And why are they coming for me?” Olivia stuttered.
Martinez held an AR-18 in her left hand. She pulled her standard-issue sidearm from its holster and
handed it to Olivia.
Olivia stared at the gun in her hand as if it might tell her what to do next. She had handled guns
before. She’d been in battle. She knew what to do, didn’t she? She felt the supercomputer part of her
brain switch off and the primitive part take its place. Her heart began beating a little faster.
“I’m not sure how many there are,” Martinez said as she scanned the living room and walked toward
the back of the house. Then she turned toward Olivia and added, “Too many windows. We need to
hide.”
“Basement,” Olivia replied. Her breathing quickened, and she could feel beads of sweat forming on
her forehead. “The best place to hide is the basement.”
“Let’s go,” Martinez replied. As they headed for the basement door, she answered Olivia’s question.
“A small group of guys… commandos… three or four… maybe five. We assume they’ve been
ordered by the same person who ordered Eric de la Rocha’s death.”
“And, who’s that?” Olivia asked over her shoulder as she descended the stairs two steps at a time.
“We think it’s Oliver Grimes,” Martinez answered. “At least, that’s what Alexandra thinks. But we
have no evidence connecting him to it.”
“Speaking of Alexandra…” Olivia began.
“She’s on her way. I got a call from one of my officers saying he had spotted some suspicious
activity… guys dressed in black, loading weapons into the back of a truck. So, I headed here right
away. I called Alexandra… woke her up. She’ll be right behind me.”
A crash above told them someone had entered the house. Martinez turned toward Olivia and said,
“I’m going up. Keep your back to the wall.” She took one last look at Olivia and added, “Don’t be
afraid to use that weapon. The safety’s off.”
She waited a moment, not disengaging, until Olivia nodded her agreement. Then she handed Olivia
her phone and said, “Call the emergency number. It will connect you with reinforcements from
Elyria.”
Olivia nodded again and felt her head wobble from the effort. Her hand trembled slightly as she
dialed the number Martinez had given her. She rehearsed the words she would say when someone
answered and hoped the cavalry would show up before it was too late.
A Brooklyn-born, second-generation American, and the eldest of three boys, writing is his third career and the one about which he is most passionate. Following graduation from the US Naval Academy and active duty in the Navy, he embarked on a career in business. He began writing his blog “Who Will Lead?” in 2010 attracting over 120,000 readers. It inspired him to write his first book, an Amazon five-star rated business fable titled “The Reluctant CEO.” His fascination with artificial intelligence and its impact on society was the inspiration to write a science fiction thriller, The Awakening of Artemis. Currently, he makes his home in Fairport, NY, a village on the Erie Canal.
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The excerpt sounds good. I like the cover art.
This sounds like an interesting read.
Great excerpt!
this book sounds really interesting, great cover too
This book looks intriguing
Irritating characteristic of the form--sign in, fine; doing comment first, fine; learning that you have to sign in AGAIN to do anything more--not fine.
Generally like the form otherwise.
Sorry to direct this to the author, but probably the user of the form would have more impact in contacting the publisher about any problems, and also better access!
But, the book sounds good!
A story about friendship & what it can endure will be an interesting read
This sounds like a great read and I like the cover.
Great cover
The book sounds like a thrilling read. I love this genre!
Sounds like an incredible read.
It looks like a good read.
This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
I like everything about this book - genre title and cover.
Thank you for the excerpt.
Hope the book does great!
This sounds like a very intense read that will be hard to put down.
intriguing
The excerpt is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
I enjoyed the excerpt for Protopia. Thank you for the giveaway!
The book cover looks great! I like the winter scene.
I think I would really like this book. It sounds interesting!
I like the book cover & the details.
This book sounds thrilling. Love the cover!
Looks very exciting Do you write in a daily journal?
This book sounds like one that will keep me interested and reading for sure and I love the cover too.
John Calia is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book. I always love reading a dystopian thriller. Thanks to this blog for the introduction.
My comments are not going through?
John Calia is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book. I love a good dystopian thriller. I'm looking forward to reading this.
Sounds captivating
Awesome Excerpt!
I can tell from the excerpt this is an action exciting read!
I really like the cover art.
I really like the book cover.
The cover has a mysterious quality! This looks like a book I would enjoy.
I would love to read this.
looks like a fun one.
What inspired the title and what does it mean in the context of your story?
Sounds like an interesting story.
Fascinating story blerb.
What an exciting book! Great excerpt. I'd love to read more.
This book sounds like a wonderful read.
This book looks excellent
The book sounds exciting to read. I will be looking for it!