Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner

As writers we write because most of us don't have a choice. We hear the constant chatter of the narrator in our heads while we're driving around, sitting in class, waiting at the doctor's office, enduring a meeting, taking a shower, dreaming . . . The relentless voice will nag and poke and prod, and it won't stop until we put the words down on paper––or in a word doc. 

This has been my case. I've been listening to the voice for decades. It wasn't until I stopped listening to people outside of me and started listening to my inner self that I finally wrote my first novel. I published The City Center in October 2013 and so far it's been doing pretty well out in the world. No groundbreaking success just yet, but enough to keep me inspired. 

I recently found out The City Center won the Gold Medal for Dystopian Fiction in the Readers' Favorite Awards. For an indie author who is still navigating through the wilderness of self-publishing, this accolade is nothing short of amazing. I'm very happy to know my words have been well received––and even liked! 

Below is the review:

Reviewed By Anne Boling for Readers’ Favorite

The City Center (The New Agenda Series Book 1) by Simone Pond is a dystopian tale set in the future. A group of elitists have killed off most of the people, leaving two sects; the elitists that reside inside the utopia of Los Angeles City Center and the rebels that live on the Outside. The elitists have devised a way to live for an extended period of time. Ava Rhodes is the citizens' favorite of those competing for the office of Queen of City Center. Unlike the other candidates, Ava has a lot of unanswered questions. When Joseph, an Outsider, is captured, Ava not only assists him in escaping but she also goes with him. She discovers the lies and deceit that have been perpetrated on her people. The Outsiders discover a traitor in their midst.

It is difficult to believe that The City Center is Simone Pond’s first novel for she writes like a seasoned author. The City Center reminds me of Donor 23, The Hunger Games, Logan’s Run and Brave New World, which are all dystopian tales. The characters are well developed. Morray was so well developed that he gave me the creeps just reading about his despicable crimes. My only complaint with this novel is the lead character, Ava Rhodes. I would have liked to see her as a stronger character and not quite so needy. This tale is well written and the plot is interesting. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

If you still haven't picked up a copy of The City Center, check it out on Amazon.  



Keep writing. It saves lives.