His latest
book is the science fiction/political thriller, The
Hidden Reality.
For
More Information
In the year 2084, the brilliant inventor, Alex Pella, finds
himself at a precarious crossroad between the pursuit of justice and
preservation of his own sanity. While attempting to undermine an international New
World Order government created by the financial juggernaut known as The New
Reality, he must also face the hidden truths about his own genetic heritage
that are slowly destroying
him. After receiving an ambiguous message sent from
a former New Reality executive who died 2 years prior, Alex learns that the
only possible means to confront this New World Order is to defeat a
long-forgotten enemy almost 2500 years old.
THE HIDDEN REALITY is the second stand-alone novel in
a trilogy starring Alex Pella, created by New Jersey-based neurologist and
entrepreneur Stephen Martino. With his fusion of history, politics, and science
fiction, Martino joins such masters of the thriller genre as Dan Brown, James
Rollins, and Michael Crichton.
Martino’s villain is a corporation run by a cadre of ruthless international bankers known as The New Reality. Directed by the most corrupt and morally unscrupulous of the bunch, Myra Keres, the company has economically seized control of the world’s governments and the population’s personal freedoms in the process. In order to save humanity from this despot ruler and the unwonted atrocities to which she plans to perpetuate on the world, Alex Pella must infiltrate the company and face an enemy that has unknowingly haunted both him and history for almost 2500 years.
Martino says he wrote THE HIDDEN REALITY more than just to entertain the reader. He wanted to create a modern day Orwellian ANIMAL FARM to allegorically forewarn his readers of a possible dystopia future that awaits all of mankind if humanity continues to proceed down its path of self-destruction.
In THE HIDDEN REALITY, Martino has included such
hot-button contemporary topics as genetic cloning, unprecedented economic debt,
the rise of big government, and the threat of a New World Order run by the
economic elite, while bringing the reader back almost 2500 years into the past
when the ancient city state nation known as Greece fought the mighty Persian
Empire for world domination.
All of these elements, Martino maintains, separate his book from the pack. He calls THE HIDDEN REALITY “issue-oriented fiction. There are real concerns facing society today that threaten both the sovereignty and prosperity of our future generations. Though fictional, my novel addresses some of these issues and predicts the potential consequences we face as a nation and the world if they are not properly addressed today.”
For More Information
- The Hidden Reality is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not
writing?
By day I’m a neurologist and practice in a 6-person private
practice group. I also have the good fortune to run a 7 hospital system stroke
center. Though the days are long, I enjoy my office patients and really
appreciate making a difference in people’s lives. Plus, through the stroke
centers, I’m able to create a multi-hospital system to treat stroke patients
and deliver the most cutting edge and state-of-the-art care to all of them.
Plus, as part of my job, I also conduct research and teach medical students and
residents. If that weren’t enough, I have 5 kids at home who garner much of my
free time. So when do I write? Good question. Thankfully I don’t need much
sleep!
When did you start writing?
When it
came to writing and most other aspects of my life, I was a late bloomer. In
fact, I never started to write until my late twenties. Though I had aspired to
create the next great American novel since my college days, the thought of
creating an entire book seemed overwhelming.
When I
began to dabble in the writing field, it was strictly non-fictional work for
the local paper and hospital. I toyed with the idea of moving on to
fiction for years. However, it was a coworker who eventually inspired me to
take that final step. He would walk into my office with different ideas of what
he thought would make an exciting book, or what he envisioned could create the
next blockbuster movie. The more we talked on the subject, the more I wanted to
create my own novel. After procrastinating long enough, I finally decided to
jot down an outline for my first book and continued writing fiction ever since
that time.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
Presenting at The Book Expo of America at the Java
Center in NY has been the highlight
of my publishing career. I’ve gone to this particular book expo multiple times
and always hoped to be one of the published authors there signing my novel.
Ironically, through hard work, persistence, and positive though (Thank you
Robyn Byrne from The Secret) my dream
came true. To this day, I am ecstatic my publisher provided me with such an
incredible experience.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your
next book, where would that be and why?
It would definitely be somewhere on a Pacific island. The
fantastic weather, clear air, and tropical breeze is perfect for writing. It’s
also conducive for sleeping and drinking. However, I would plan to do a little
writing when I am there.
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?
I’d probably catch up on some needed sleep. Though it sounds
mundane, there seems to be too much to do with too little time to do it.
Because a little extra shut-eye is the first thing to go when I’m busy, I would
like to recoup on some of my needed sleeping time.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
My books really take the reader around the globe. I enjoy
exploring different countries and even times through my writing. However, if I
had to choose some completely different place to set a story, it may be in a
different dimension, planet, or even realm of existence. However, for the time
being, I’m going to stick to terrestrial locations.
Back to your present book, The Hidden Reality, how did you publish it?
An independent press known as Light Messages Publishing took on my work and brought it to print.
As a previous novice to the publishing industry and writing business, finding Light Messages was a completely humbling
task. I was rejected by hundreds of agents and publishers before eventually
joining Light Messages. Honestly, the
only time I was rejected this many times was when I was dating back in high
school.
Before ever being published, I was signed on by an agent. It
was this agent who eventually made contact with Light Messages and brought me into their family of successful
writers. Sadly, a week before I closed the contract with Light Messages, my agent suddenly passed. However, I believe she is
on the other side still rooting on my books for continued success.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?
Though I would like to travel, I’ve been able to virtually
circle the globe from my own bedroom using my trusted computer. One day I would
personally like to take the trip. However, I’m content to discover new places
virtually until that day finally comes.
Why was writing The
Hidden Reality so important to you?
My goal was to create
a modern day allegoric Animal Farm in order to forewarn my readers of
the possible future consequences we may face as a result of our current follies
of today. As political tensions rise around the globe, the world plunges into
economic debt, Europe delves deeper into chaos, and new
scientific and medical achievements astound us by the day, the world in which
we are living in today is rapidly changing. Unless we have the wisdom,
humility, and compassion as we move forward intelligently, there will be
unintended negative consequences for humanity’s future.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that
is?
Before writing The
Hidden Reality, I conducted years of research into different scientific,
medical, historical, philosophical, and political topics. In fact, I have
shelves of books dedicated just to this novel. The goal was to create a finished product that was meant more for
than just enjoyment. I really wanted to create a novel with substance like Dan
Brown’s Da Vinci Code or Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. These books not only tell a fantastic
story but they also make the reader think. So what I did in The Hidden
Reality was incorporate certain pressing topics that effect our word today
such the unprecedented world-wide economic debt, globalism, clash of East and
West, and the rise of big government while combining it with some interesting
subjects such as Ancient Greek military history, the concept of an Open
Society, and futuristic scientific concepts.
Any final words?
Please visit me on my website: www.martinoauthor.com
The Hidden Reality
can also be purchased on:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Reality-Stephen-Martino/dp/1611531632/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51vW-hoJAdL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=021VMTZ9Q5SNK9SMTKF8
Barnes & Nobles:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hidden-reality-stephen-martino/1122827122?ean=9781611531633
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-hidden-reality/id1060329732?mt=11
Great book! I really enjoyed reading this novel. I can't wait for the next one to come out!
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