Blind Cerulean: Brisk, Brutal, & Coming Soon

Gene Kendall here, appropriating a blog post like some hog and announcing the release of my new novel, Blind Cerulean. In recent years, I’ve written about a fictional ’90s post-Nirvana alt-rock band, a politically incorrect cartoonist who accidently brings a supervillain into reality, and a paranormal investigator/crappy husband who finds himself trapped in a corner of the afterlife with a coven of horny ghosts. It’s only natural that my next novel would feature a teenage vigilante determined to bring down a corpulent drug kingpin. Clearly, there’s a logical progression here.

The novel’s cover is quite…subtle in revealing my influence. Yes, I’m looking at that decade we simply can’t let go of, the era of Aquanet and mutually assured destruction. Why does 1980s nostalgia refuse to die? Honestly, I have no clue. Following the twenty-year rule of nostalgia, we’re overdue for a Papa Roach reappraisal any day now. But almost every book/show/movie that wants to tug at nostalgic heartstrings still can’t let go of the 1980s.

What’s bizarre is that 1980s nostalgia started early. 1995 saw MTV’s It Came from the ’80s special, a documentary about the outlandishness of ’80s pop culture, prompted by youth culture’s recent embrace of the decade. This was only five years after the ’80s, but people were already viewing the decade as this odd, bygone era we’ll tragically never have back.

Would you truly wish to live in the 1980s, though? Aside from the lack of modern conveniences—imagine a time without not only the internet, but tiny devices that give you continuous access to it—you’d be living an era of global unrest, escalating drug abuse, and outrageous crime rates. (Hmm… Do people like the ’80s so much they couldn’t help but to revive it for the 2020s?) It’s easy to look upon the past with rose-tinted glasses, but the 1980s wasn’t exactly a time for wimps.

Blind Cerulean—for the most part—isn’t set in the 1980s, but I attempted to project that mentality into the present day. Here’s the hook: what if someone living in 1985 wrote a novel set in the distant future of 2021? What current day anxieties and media fads would they project into the future? Designer drugs, Communism, subliminal messages, test-tube babies, celebrity worship, and urban decay all play a role in the story. There is some cheating involved, to keep things from getting too meta or distracting—for example, characters use modern day smartphones instead of some ridiculous imaginary gadget a writer in the ’80s might’ve created. The novel’s spirit, I think, is what represents the era.

Alley Marlens is the star of Blind Cerulean, a teenager with a genius IQ, self-medicating mother, and posters of dead 1980s pop stars decorating her wall. Alley’s life changes when a mystery figure known as Coach approaches her out of the blue. He tells her she has a destiny; that the crime-ridden, drug-infested city she resides in needs a savior. And Coach—a cranky, plainspoken mentor with no tolerance for any slacking—will train her, make certain she lives up to her true potential.

She emerges as the Night Angel, named in honor of her favorite 1980s action flick. Alley’s crusade draws the attention of a druglord nicknamed The Swine. This detestable man and his shadowy associate must be stopped—and yet they hold answers to mysteries Coach would never reveal to Alley. Answers she soon realizes she can’t live without.

Blind Cerulean is a crime thriller, character drama, and tribute to the trash entertainment beloved stories of my youth. The book’s available for pre-order on Amazon and I hope you’ll check it out. A preview paperback is now available, while the ebook release is set for November 1st. Hopefully, we'll also have the audiobook out on the same day. If you're an Audible subscriber, contact me and I should be able to send you a complimentary download link when it's available.

I also have a limited number of ARCs available now for Amazon reviewers -- you can enjoy a book months before everyone else for the measly price of your opinion!

In the days of our overlord Amazon, two things are vital for authors—preorders and reviews. Reviews should be open now on the Amazon page, if you click on the button for the paperback version. If you place an order, spread the word, or leave a review, you’ll earn my eternal gratitude. Thanks for your indulgence, folks.