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Hiding Hand is not your normal, run-of-the-mill Sci-Fi novel. The second installment of the Nova Sapiens trilogy, the story's mix of love, messianic messaging, and redemption along with the scientific question of "Have humans evolved to their fullest genetic potential?" takes the reader for an emotional, intellectual, and almost metaphysical theme park ride.Published by Twilight Times Books, I was able to catch up with the authors - father/daughter team, Denning and Leanne (Lee) Powell.

Knowing how hard it is to write a story with just my neurotic and at times critical voice in my head, I couldn't resist wondering how two people could write a trilogy, and still like each other at work's end! They are quite the dynamic-duo, with a sense of adventure and zest for Life that's simply contagious. Just in case any of you are wondering, here's what they had to say:

1. If you only had 30 seconds to explain this book (or trilogy) to a stranger in an elevator - or someone big, like Steven Spielberg - what would you say?

Lee: Hiding Hand is an epic love vs power story. A new human species – Nova sapiens—is evolving and its firstborn – the child messiah Eva – begins her dangerous journey. A psychopathic cleric and an insane witch conspire to control Eva and her astonishing powers. Only Eva’s teenage brother Joshua and an unseen ancient Sisterhood protect her. But Joshua is a flawed defender; he walks the razor’s edge between the love of power and the power of love.

2. Which character do you relate to most?

Lee: I drew upon my own childhood to connect with Eva and she’s probably closest to my heart. There’s a pleasant mental openness or emptiness that allows her—like children generally—to fully integrate with her environment. She can absorb and synthesize information without the sense of analysis that permeates an adult mind. But, in many ways, I connect with Elia as well; her earth-mother ethos, her rugged capability and determination (if I do say so myself!), her healing capacity and mysterious familiarity with the natural world.

Denning: Really tough question. Probably I relate to the character I’m writing about at the time -- I do tend to get immersed. But I especially relate to certain qualities of some of the characters: Joshua for his moral dilemma; Eva for her innocence; Hessa for her mystery; Elia for her complexity; Zurvan for his unbridled evil. Those qualities are really fun for a writer to play with.


3. What made you decide to write this story? And even more interesting, what made you decide to become a writing team?

Lee: I think it’s in the gene pool... I started writing and journaling as a means to enliven my imagination as well as process real experiences along the way.
As for how we became a team, I was proud of my dad when he told me he was going to write the first novel, Monkey Trap. I volunteered to help for two reasons. First, I’d always intended to write fiction at some point in the future, so it was a great chance to get some practice and background in the publishing process. But more importantly, I think I must have done something truly great in past life to deserve such an exceptional person as my father. He’s got humor, patience, intelligence, compassion, and he always comes through when you need him.

Denning: Initially, boredom. In 1970, I was an Air Force officer doing a boring staff job at Tan Son Nhut airbase in Saigon, in the Vietnam war. I got this idea for a novel (Monkey Trap) and started scribbling away (on paper, no PCs back then) just to have a creative outlet. But then after a couple of months, I got the opportunity to go upcountry with the Army Special Forces and life got a lot more interesting and I put away the manuscript. Thirty-some years later -- in one of those reflective what-do-I-wanna-do-when-I-grow-up moments -- I pulled those hundred or so yellowed hand-written pages out of the attic. The writing was crap, so I tossed the manuscript in the trash, but the ideas were great. Irresistible.

The writing team was a seredipitous accident. I’d structured and outlined and started writing, and was on about chapter 8 of Monkey Trap when I mentioned it to Lee. She was in college at the time on the west coast. I sent her the draft, and she got really excited, and started sending me back ideas. So I told her to flesh them out, tell things the way she saw them. She did, and we emailed material back and forth, and it all folded neatly into the novel. By the time we got to the end of Monkey Trap, I figured she’d written over 20% of the book, and decided we really should be a composite author -- thus the pseudonym Lee Denning.

During that writing process for the first book, it also became clear that the story couldn’t end there; it had to be a trilogy so the concepts could be fully developed. After Monkey Trap was accepted by Twilight Times Books, we immediately launched into the sequel Hiding Hand (Book II of the Nova sapiens trilogy), only this time Lee was onboard from the beginning, and we outlined and structured and plotted that novel together before we even started writing.

4. What do you like about working with each other? What did you discover about each other that you might not have under the more typical father-daughter relationship dynamic?

Lee: It’s wonderful in the sense that I get to see a bigger picture of how he relates to the world. Writing is nice that way because the author addresses a broad audience.

Denning: Creativity is a wonderful thing, and it’s really fun to watch it bubbling up in your own child. I’d had some inkling of this watching Lee grow up, of course, but I don’t remember it being such a wellspring. Sharing a creative process with her as an adult, I just love that.

5. What advice would you give to a writer or writing team that is working towards publication?

Denning: The first thing is be persistent. Writing is tough. Getting published is tougher. The traditional market is terrible for new writers, partly because there’s so much good stuff out there, and partly because the bigger publishing houses only want to bet on sure things (i.e., established names). But that’s the reality, and you have to live with it, so persistence is essential; you just keep trying.

The second thing is be flexible. The digital world is opening up non-traditional, imaginative paths to publication that weren’t even envisioned ten years ago. Artists of all sorts now have the ability to sidestep traditional routes and go directly to the consumer. Novels, paintings, music, videos, animations... they’re all finding more direct expression on the internet. Sometimes there’s even serious money involved.

The third thing is be patient. Of course you want your debut Great American Novel to get rave reviews in the New York Times and sell a bazillion copies in its first week out. That’s fun to dream about. But you’ll probably be happier and healthier if you focus on the journey and enjoy it, rather than focus on the outcome. So... think about why you’re really writing, and let that guide you, and be patient with the process. And with yourself.