Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Barnes & Noble.com Reliance on Citizens trilogy Category:  Science Fiction ISBN-10:  1482034484 Type: Fiction Pages: 217 Copyright: Jan 21, 2013 ISBN-13: 9781482034486 Price: $3.99 (eBook) The laws of Terene may have changed, but that doesn't mean the hearts and minds of its people have. With the Elite no longer in control and the Divide closed, the people of Terene expected change. They knew life could be better; they had seen it. During the recent coup led by Guy Bensen and Keira Maddock, televiews throughout the world aired footage of the more technologically advanced and peaceful realm of Mediterra. It was exactly what the Working Class citizens of Terene wanted for themselves and for their children. But change often takes time. Six years have passed. Life in Mediterra is all eleven year-old diabetic Noah can remember and all his sister, Nadine, has ever known. Now a new President is in power, and their father, Scott Maddock, has decided it's time to move his family back to Terene. He says things are different now. He says things have changed for the better. Noah isn't so sure. At first glance, this is a futuristic dystopian political thriller, but at its core, Heart of Humanity is a story of compassion. By skillfully weaving together several characters' viewpoints in a first person narrative, the realm of Terene comes to life, magnifying universal issues such as bullying and prejudice. Part three of a trilogy, this novel also stands well on its own.       Excerpt Geoffrey tapped my arm. This would be his fourth question in an hour. I ignored him and focused on the ceremony, anxious for the new Gov to officially take charge in the western city of Vanover and relieve me of my duties here. Geoffrey cleared his throat. I scowled and swiveled my leather executive-style office chair to face him. It wasn't like this was our first, third or even fifth Exchange of Power, and Geoffrey had been at my side since the beginning; he knew the process. My team observed as 10 men and women dressed in business suits saluted two flags and recited the new Oath of the Realm, guaranteeing to protect and honor all citizens equally, something that hadn't been done in Terene in over a generation. Our next task would be to escort one of the ministers now standing before us to the capital city of Tkaron. He or she would represent the realm as a member of the main branch of Parliament. In this way, all eight territories would be represented. No one knew who the next Prime Minister would be. The ministers would offer a list of three candidates, and the citizens would vote. Geoffrey pointed at the transceiver clipped to my belt. It silently glowed, announcing an incoming call. I let out a breath, brushed my suit coat further aside and unclipped the small device, ready to hit 'cancel.' Whoever it was could call back later or leave a message. Then I saw the number. Keeping my eyes and most of my attention facing forward, I lifted the small device to my ear and spoke quietly so as not to disrupt the ceremony. “Dani?” “Scott.” Danielle's tone demanded my attention. “Just a minute.” I pushed my notepad to Geoffrey, stood and quickly moved to the outer office. From behind the welcome desk, a young woman with long dark hair and ruby red fingernails watched a newsvid on the teleview embedded in the wall. On the screen, my best friend, Guy Bensen, gave his daily newscast. With an air of stoicism and serenity, he reassured the masses that the process of change would continue. Guy was exactly what Terene needed. Only his closest friends knew he hated being the center of attention. I hurried across the room to the window and spoke to my wife. “What is it? What's wrong?” “It's Noah.” My heart jumped to my throat as I thought of my five year-old son. I swallowed nervously. “It's his liver,” she continued. “The doctor says he has cirrhosis. Scott, he needs another transplant.” I reached for my waist and remembered the painful removal of my kidney. “Cirrhosis?” “The final phase of liver disease.” “Wait, the final phase?” “Oh, Scott. It came out of nowhere.” “How long does he have?” I whispered. “We have a little time. They're already looking for a donor.” I rubbed my forehead. Any donor they found would be no good. It was time to tell them Noah's complete medical history. “How much time do we have?” “A few months maybe, according to his doctor. When can you come home?” “We'll finish here by the end of the week. Then we're scheduled to fly back to Tkaron before heading for the eastern seaboard, but I can be back in a day or two.” I glanced at the secretary. I'd give her Brody Delaney's number. That should get me an earlier departure. “I'll try to get a flight out tonight,” I assured her. “Love you.” “I love you, too.” I took a deep breath. Another transplant. Unfortunately, my son had not inherited my healing abilities. I dropped my hand to my midsection. We'd have to convince Noah's doctors to take part of my liver. We'd have to tell them everything. “For Noah,” I whispered, turning to look out the window. The golden yellow, flaming orange and scarlet red leaves of a Douglas maple shone in the midday sun. We'd break for lunch soon. I'd have to talk with Geoffrey about a change of plans. I'd been away from my family far too long.

Humanity with heart!!!
"Equal treatment truly does make our society great."

This story opens and takes you right into this other realm. The action grabs your attention while the adventure plays out. The writing is fluid and draws the reader in. We are now so familiar with these characters that it all somehow feels personal. My eyes were glued to the page wondering in which direction we were being steered. There is a natural ease and flow to these stories that make you forget you are reading and not seeing the story play out in front of you. The subject matter of bullying is an ever present problem that entered into this story in a constructive way. It is a topic that should not be ignored. I also appreciated the dealings with the class system and I loved getting perspectives from several points of view.

This trilogy is not only clever and imaginative but it is more than that. They seem to have a life of their own as I found myself thinking about this tale long after I closed the book. Each story stands on their own but I suggest you start with Price of a Bounty. That book is a real treasure.

"I pulled back, then released the dagger with a fluid flick of my wrist. It flew straight and true, hitting the man in the shoulder. He grunted but held onto the riffle, then turned to face me. On full alert, I crouched with my hand on my gun, ready for anything. Or so I thought. It wasn't a man. It was a boy."

Great novel!!
The author sent me this novel in exchange for an honest review. It was heartfelt, exciting, and really captured the human emotion like few stories can. Though I haven't read Wallace's two other books in this trilogy (not yet), this one really can stand alone. If you want an entertaining read that'll take you away from reality for a while, this one definitely fits the bill.

Glad I got to read it!

Keep on writing such great stories! :)

Great Series
This is the third and final book in the Reliance on Citizens trilogy. I was hooked from book one, and this one didn't disappoint.

While it appears great strides have been made toward equality and freedom in Kiera's world, prejudice and danger still abound. Noah, now eleven, faces a strange new world, and the limitations of his fragile body. Scott, April, and Kiera must work together to save their family, and their world.

I enjoyed the action and was sad for the series to end. I'm glad I found this when all three were published so I didn't have to wait to see how it ended.