Bright Blue Planet The Jovian Universe Book Three by Kim Catanzarite - Sci-fi Thriller - At a time when humans and clones begin to clash, two men—one Jovian, the other, human—struggle to navigate the new world order and their own families within it.
The Jovian Universe
Book Three
by Kim Catanzarite
Genre: Sci-fi Thriller
Publisher: Forster Publishing
Date of Publication: March 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-7359522-4-6
ASIN: B0BT2ZKJRS
Word Count: 65,000
Cover Artist: Damonza
At a time when humans and clones begin to clash, two men—one Jovian, the other, human—struggle to navigate the new world order and their own families within it.
Continuing the story that began with They Will Be Coming for Us and Jovian Son, Bright Blue Planet, Book 3 in The Jovian Universe, takes readers behind the scenes of the otherworldly Jovian family, revealing their most startling secrets.
Former three-term President of the United States, Evander Peterman, does his best to uphold the promise he made his human mother, Svetlana, to protect ordinary humans from the stronger, more-intelligent race of clones the powerful Jovian family has created.
Fran Vasquez, former FBI agent and current head of the Jovians’ security squad at Starbright International, not only works with clones and hybrids but recently hired his young, struggling son, who immediately creates tension between members of the squad.
Meanwhile, Caroline, matriarch of the Jovians, may be at odds with her husband, Edmund, who abruptly left Earth for no known reason. She doesn’t seem to care that humans and clones aren't getting along—and suggests something much more menacing looms on Earth’s horizon.
As the story unfolds, Evander and Fran must do their best to navigate not only the rising world order but their own families as well.
Interview with Kim Catanzarite
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder
Kim
Catanzarite, author of Bright Blue Planet
Bright Blue Planet is the third book in The Jovian Universe series. The first book (They Will Be Coming for Us) basically begins with a love story. It plants the seed that grows into the Jovian Universe series. The second book (Jovian Son) is about the very special child that results from that love story. And the third book, Bright Blue Planet, is about how that child and the Jovian side of his family (they’re from Jupiter) have affected the Earth and mankind at large.
It’s a story told from two perspectives: The first is the “Jovian Son” himself, Evander Peterman, the first hybrid Jovian/human. At this point in his life he is a former president of the United States, and he’s juggling some major drama within his powerful, otherworldly family. He’s also the father of two young children, both of whom suffer physical afflictions of their own.
The second main character is Fran Vasquez, a former FBI agent and 100 percent human who heads up the Jovians’ security squad at Starbright International, the family’s aerospace company. In addition to struggling with the new, Jovian-run world, Fran is also trying to help his young adult son grow up and find a path to happiness.
Throughout the book, the two main characters grapple with being a parent within a new world order that threatens mankind’s survival.
The books are not hard science. They’re soft science with a lot of drama. I’m more interested in the relationships and dynamics between characters than I am in the fact that some of them come from outer space. That said, I love Ancient Aliens and the idea of alien visitors, as well as space travel, time travel, multiple universes, and quantum physics.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing Bright Blue Planet ?
This was the hardest book I have ever written for several reasons. First, I wrote it from the viewpoints of two men. I used third person, which gave me an easier in, but I still had to get into the mindset of, well, two men, and that’s not something I’ve done too often. That said, I love these two characters, and I feel I know them almost as well as I know myself.
Second, this is book three, which means the worldbuilding has been laid down and the rules set—and I had to both remember and abide by the many rules I’d created. This was easier said than done! My editor and I were laughing about how much time the book required us to spend in the “Jovian Think Tank” in order to get it right.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I loved my college writing courses so much that upon graduation I decided to pursue only those jobs that would contribute to my writing skills. I basically set up my whole life with my writing obsession at its center. First, I was an editorial assistant at a big five publisher in NYC. Then I switched gears and became a copyeditor and writer for a local newspaper. Next, I went back to book publishing for a how-to home improvement publisher. After that, I began to freelance edit for Better Homes and Gardens Books while I was also a newspaper writer in a Southern city. Today, I continue to freelance content and copyedit, write articles for magazines and blogs, instruct editing courses for Writer’s Digest, and, pursue my lifelong dream of publishing my own books!
They say hindsight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I would say that writing is a lifestyle as much as it is a career or an artistic pursuit. Enjoy the journey. If you truly love to write, the journey will bring you much contentment.
What are you working on now?
I have two more Jovian Universe books to write before the series ends, so I’ve been contemplating those books and where the story is heading for each character.
What are your plans for future projects?
I have begun a new series and the first draft of the first book is written. The main character in the new series is a young Frenchman who wakes up in the middle of the ocean (sort of like Jason Bourne did, only he’s nothing like Jason Bourne), and he reluctantly begins to realize that something much worse than ending up adrift at sea may have happened to him.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! This has been a lot of fun.
I would say that writing is a lifestyle as much as it is a career or an artistic pursuit. Enjoy the journey. If you truly love to write, the journey will bring you much contentment.
What are you working on now?
I have two more Jovian Universe books to write before the series ends, so I’ve been contemplating those books and where the story is heading for each character.
What are your plans for future projects?
I have begun a new series and the first draft of the first book is written. The main character in the new series is a young Frenchman who wakes up in the middle of the ocean (sort of like Jason Bourne did, only he’s nothing like Jason Bourne), and he reluctantly begins to realize that something much worse than ending up adrift at sea may have happened to him.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! This has been a lot of fun.
You're welcome. Good luck with Bright Blue Planet, and your other upcoming endeavors.
“I’m sure you’re aware of what’s going on with the humans in Philadelphia?” Evander said. 
Excerpt
Uncle Jimmy pulled some dried leaves from the plants to his left, then began to pluck the dead blossoms from a tray to his right. Without looking up, he said, “The human beings are doing fine as far as I can tell.”
That was a disappointing statement if ever Evander heard one. “They may be on the cusp of warring with the clones you created,” he said. “Something needs to be done.”
Uncle Jimmy removed his focus from the flowers and met Evander’s gaze. A gentle innocence settled over his face. “I’ve never made a human clone. I was against making the clones from the very beginning.”
“And yet somehow, with your help, an entire race of them lives on this planet. How is that, I wonder, and please don’t tell me it was written in the stars. Things like cloning don’t just happen.”
“Cloning has been and always was sewn into the tapestry of human fate, even if that’s not what you want to hear,” he said, his cheeks pinkening. “You seem upset, are you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Jimmy went back to tending to the various plants. “You’re human. It’s to be expected.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’m human and I’m Jovian and I have emotions. From what I’ve been told you experience them, too. Is that correct?”
Jimmy gave up on gardening and stepped up to Evander, tilting his head in a contemplative way.
“I feel empathy. Empathy and all that comes with it.”
“So you can understand when I tell you that I made a promise to my mother to protect the human race, and I intend to follow through because she means a lot to me.”
“But you’ve already followed through. You’ve protected them with your legislation. You saved their planet, made it inhabitable again, safe again. I suspect you’ve done more for this planet than any other individual ever has … or will, for that matter.” He paused before placing a heavy hand upon Evander’s shoulder. “Your mother would be proud of you.”
“That may be so, but what’s happening in Philadelphia would concern her nonetheless,” he said, stepping aside so he could get out from under Jimmy’s hand. “I thought you cared about my mother. She always spoke so highly of you.”
Jimmy blinked as if some dust had fallen into his eye. “I care for her just as I care for you.” He rubbed the back of his head, the thin shock of hair left standing in a whirl. “And, for your information, it was the humans who came up with the science that led to cloning. I only nudged them in the right direction. Either way, it had to be done in order for other occurrences to … occur.”
“In spite of that,” Evander said, “the humans and clones are at odds. The humans are the physically weaker species, and they know it. They’ve been fearful of the clones from the start.
The only leg they have to stand on is a societal one. They are purebred. ‘Real,’ as they like to say. But they’re not stupid. They know the clones are smarter and stronger, and therefore destined to take over the species.”
“What you describe may be an issue now,” Uncle Jimmy said with optimistic light in his eyes, “but it won’t always be. Minds will change. In time, all of the genes will have mixed.
There will be no such thing as a purebred human. No reals or fakes, clones or hybrids. Only humans with varying degrees of Jovian DNA. That’s the beauty of it.”
Uncle Jimmy argued with ease and self-assurance, but Evander knew it wasn’t that simple. Life never was. Humans, in particular, never were.
About the Author:
Kim Catanzarite is the author of the award-winning Jovian Universe sci-fi thriller series. She is a freelance writer and editor for publishers and independent authors, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her Self-Publishing 101 blog discusses the ins and outs of indie life as well as all things writing craft. When she’s not writing or editing, Kim enjoys hiking, drawing, and talking to her cats. She lives on the east coast USA with her husband and daughter.
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Hi! I'm so happy to appear on JB's Bookworms. I'll be around if anyone has questions to ask about my books, the editorial process, or writing craft in general!
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