CHICAGO – Kid genius David Massie is excited for things to finally return back to normal when he gets back to middle school after saving the world and solving the mystery of the Quantum Flux. But life is far from normal in Andrew M. Nehring’s latest installment of his middle grade sci-fi series, “David Massie and the Hidden Underworld,” (Aug. 9, 2022, Books Fluent)
Sure, history class might be boring, but it gives him a chance to spend time with Rory, the girl he’s crushing on, so David doesn’t mind. Soon, he’ll be done with eighth grade and going on to high school. The only thing that’s missing is his older brother, Morgan, who vanished years ago. Otherwise, life couldn’t be better.
But history turns out to be anything but dull when CP, the Time Cop who accompanied David on his adventures through time and space, turns up outside the classroom. CP alerts David that the Time Police Depot has been decimated by a dark armored warrior, and he’s the only Time Cop left alive. Soon, David, Rory and CP are off on an interstellar journey, battling aliens, ancient gods and giants on their quest. They must travel back in time to rebuild the very reality gates they risked their lives to destroy — or watch as the universe crumbles at the hands of an evil force beyond their wildest dreams.
“Young readers who are new to the genre will get pulled in by the relatable characters, the fun storylines, the dazzle of the tech, and the imaginative secret worlds Nehring creates.”
— Windy City Reviews on “David Massie and the Quantum Flux”
“David Massie and the Hidden Underworld”
Andrew M. Nehring | Aug. 9, 2022 | Books Fluent | Middle Grade / Science-Fiction
Paperback, 9781733384988, $10.99 | Ebook, 9781733384995, $4.99
Praise for David Massie and Andrew M. Nehring
“David Massie and the Quantum Flux is an imaginative science fiction adventure in which a boy who skips across realities is chased by a dark enemy.” — Foreword Reviews
“Nehring does a wonderful job of world-building and detailing his vision for the locations, creatures, and situations in this novel in ways that readers of all ages can enjoy. The chapters are well-paced and keep you wanting to turn the pages. The book’s vivid imagery will keep your imagination engaged. My only regret about reading this book is the cliffhanger at the end! Nehring does a great job of ensuring that you will pick up the next book in the series, as you absolutely will want to know what happens next. … This book deserves the highest praise.” — Windy City Reviews
“David Massie and the Quantum Flux”
Andrew M. Nehring | July 13, 2021 | Middle Grade Science-Fiction | Paperback | 9781733384926 | $8.99
Ebook | 9781733384933 | $5.99
In this ordinary world of extraordinary technology lies a kid genius, David Massie. After the abrupt disappearance of his older brother, Morgan, David spends his days fending off the class bully and searching in Morgan’s past for answers. Then one rainy day, his world implodes thanks to a mysterious dark armored figure. That fateful encounter triggers a series of alternate realities in which David, his parents, his school, even society at large continuously morphs into different scenarios each day. But as strange as those realities were, nothing prepared David for time coming to a screeching halt. To return his world to normal, David teams up with a Time Cop named CP. Together, they unravel the mystery of the
Quantum Flux.
About the Author
Andrew M. Nehring is the author of David Massie as well as The Corrupted Light Chronicles. Growing up, he was always a very imaginative child who would tend to get lost in these worlds he created for himself. That passion for creativity never stopped. The concept of David Massie came to him after years of being an avid fan of science-fiction. This world that he created draws from both old and new sci-fi concepts.
Andrew has recently graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in the beautiful city of Chicago. Now that he has graduated, he is focused on expanding the worlds of David Massie and also The Corrupted Light Chronicles. For more info, visit andrewmnehring.com.
Follow Andrew M. Nehring on Twitter: @NehringAndrew
In an interview, Andrew M. Nehring can discuss:
- Expanding the world of David Massie with the second installation in his middle grade series
- The intersection of Netflix and classic literature like Beowulf inspiring the series
- His personal journey of overcoming dyslexia and the importance of authoring accessible books to middle schoolers
- How science-fiction leads children to imagine a better future and the importance of exposing children to reading early in life
- The research involved in crafting a sci-fi novel, as well as interpreting themes and concepts for young readers
An interview with Andrew M. Nehring
1. Did you know when writing the first book that David Massie’s story would be continued with another book?
Yes, when I first envisioned David Massie, I knew I wanted it to be a series, I’d ideally want it to get to six or seven books
2. How did your process of writing “David Massie and the Hidden Underworld” differ from when you wrote the first book?
As far as the difference between the two, I used my same writing process of idea generation, outline, write and edit. But in this book, I took a much longer time formulating the plot of “David Massie and the Hidden Underworld,” and also toward the end of the process, I decided to add in more twists and turns to the book that I thought were absolutely awesome!
3. Why did you choose to target the book toward middle grade readers?
I feel middle grade to YA is the perfect audience for my books. First, the books themselves aren’t too long, but more importantly, I want them to be a fun adventure that inspires the youth to read. Because I remember when I was a kid, I’d look at these thick novels and feel so overwhelmed. So I’ve made them fast and fun to read with twists you didn’t see coming.
4. Did you do any kind of special research to help write some of the more scientific parts of the books?
Around the time that I started thinking of “David Massie and the Quantum Flux,” I read about different dimensions or realities, as well as listened to podcasts explaining it. As for other research I did, I pulled from a variety of sources, whether in the sci-fi genre or different genres like action-adventure or even anime.
5. How do you think the recent boom in sci-fi television and movies — like “Dune” or “Stranger things” — has changed sci-fi for literature?
What I love about these new movies and TV shows is a few things. First, it only adds new sci-fi fans to the genre regardless of how many people like or don’t like the film or series. Second, we get to see more people’s sci-fi creative vision, which is awesome to see and exciting for authors like me who want to share their own creative sci-fi vision to the world.
6. Why is this story so important to you personally? Do you relate to the character of David in some way?
I love this series, the story itself and the characters within. I throw my whole self into these books. Certain characters have aspects of my own personality, but they have formed a personality all of their own, with my help of course. So, yes, I definitely have relatability to David but also all the other characters.
7. What do you hope readers take away from reading the book or the series?
What I really want the reader to feel when they finish the book is, “Where is the next one?” and have that excitement to keep reading because they love the story and the characters that much.
8. Are you working on another installment to the series?
Yes, I’m at the early idea generation stage of making the third installment to the David Massie series.
A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.
Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.
