Last November, I was excited to publish Day Zero, a near-future action thriller novel set in the world of the Watch Dogs Legion videogame – working in collaboration with the amazing Josh Reynolds, we put together a fast-paced prequel story to the game’s core narrative, and I’m very pleased to say that this weekend Day Zero won the International Association of Tie-In Writers 2021 Scribe Award for Best Original or Adapted Novel!
Bike messenger and wannabe troublemaker Olly Soames is the newest recruit to DedSec’s Resistance movement, but when a stranger is shot dead in front of him, he realizes that danger is closer than he thinks; Sarah Lincoln is an aggressive young politician with questionable methods and big ambitions, and when a string of murders unfolds in her borough, it may be the opportunity she has been looking for to make a name for herself; Ex-MMA fighter turned leg-breaker Ro Hayes is in deep with the vicious Clan Kelley, the most brutal organized crime firm in the city’s underworld, and her survival rests on uncovering a dead man’s secrets; And for Danny, Ro’s estranged brother and former soldier, his new career with private military contractor Albion is leading him down a very dark path, toward choices he may never be able to take back…
Four lives are drawn into a murderous conspiracy that threatens to destroy Dedsec and plunge the city of London into chaos. Something very bad is going down in London town…
I’m very proud to have won a Scribe for Day Zero – and the lion’s share of the accolade must go to my brilliant co-writer Josh, who shouldered all the heavy lifting on this project!
I also want to thank Marc Gascoigne, Lottie Llewelyn-Wells, Anjuli Smith and everyone at Aconyte Books, and Etienne Bouvier, Justine Villeneuve, Julien Fabre and all at Ubisoft for giving us the opportinity to write in the fictional future London of Watch Dogs Legion, we had a blast!
Congratulations also to all the other IAMTW Scribe winners – Josh and I are in some great company with Grand Master award winner Max Allan Collins, service award winner D.J. Stevenson, audio drama winners Matt Fitton and Tim Foley, graphic novel winners Michael Green and Mike Johnson, original speculative novel winner John Jackson Miller, short story winners Christie Golden and M. K. Hutchins, and YA/MA novel winner Michael Kogge!
