Terminal Autonomy Is Coming in May

If you’re interested in an early copy for free, click Get Early Access. The form lets you tell me what you’d like to read and whether you’re interested in beta reading or advance review copies.

I only ask for feedback. It’s too late to be a beta reader for Terminal Autonomy, but if you’re up for leaving a review, I’ve got a copy for you.

I’ve decided to self-publish Terminal Autonomy. I’m aiming for May 20, 2027 during National EMS Week. This will be my third book and my first novel, and I’d like to get some early copies into readers’ hands before the release.

The story comes out of the industry I’ve spent nearly forty years working in. I wanted to write about the choices we make in EMS that can put us at odds with people we otherwise consider allies. I also wanted to explore what happens as automation takes over more of the work. Those two ideas became a thriller set in San Francisco in 2049, where ambulances drive themselves and paramedics work gigs.

Ben Johnson trusts that system until a canceled air ambulance and a hospital twenty minutes out of the way leave two men dead. He starts following the decisions behind those deaths and discovers that the algorithm directing his work has priorities he doesn’t understand.

I wanted Ben to be someone EMS people would recognize. He’s good at his job, he has friends and colleagues he depends on, and he still has to make decisions that other people won’t like. The technology gives him some new ways to get into trouble.

My two nonfiction books were traditionally published about fifteen years ago. Someone else was responsible for everything after I delivered the manuscript. This time I’m handling that part, so I’m learning what needs to happen between finishing a novel and having it available to buy.

One part I could use help with is early reading. I’d like people who know EMS and people who enjoy a thriller without knowing anything about ambulances. Basically, I want people who like to read and aren’t afraid to tell me how they feel about it.