Ric Fischer

Chameleons is my debut novel. The story is expanded from a screenplay I wrote as a sophomore in high school. My passion for writing began as an impressionable third grader. I remember typing stories on old tube-screened Macintosh computers and using floppy disks to save them. I found my excitement to create my own adventures by watching Saturday morning cartoons. The 2D characters felt like additional friends I could go on adventures with. My 3D (real) friends talked about them like they existed and were extensions of our friend group. I didn't realize it then, but those days of discussing cartoons with my friends, I was really learning the power of story. I became enraptured, charting my own adventures for characters until I began making my own characters and began finding stories for them to fit in like little puzzle pieces. Chameleons is the first time I've been able to share one of my stories with so many people and it is an absolute honor.

Summary

Craig dreads becoming an eliminist. Despite volunteering to forget his past, he is
reluctant to erase others. In the year 2051, he finds himself at M-RARE, an organization filled
with people just like him. They are voluntary amnesiacs, individuals selected or brought to the
facility after being exposed to traumatic experiences. Some recruits are victims while others are
perpetrators. All of them traded their memories to build a new future. In exchange for their
second chance, some employees are promoted and commissioned to erase people like
themselves.

Craig is a newly promoted eliminist after another employee is terminated. His suspicion
regarding the nature of the discharge motivates him to dig deeper into the infrastructure of his
company. His journey leads him to unveil a long embedded conspiracy, romance, and betrayal.
Painfully, he learns some things can’t be forgotten.

Content Warnings: this novel contains graphic violence, adult language, references to drug/physical abuse, and references to suicide.

Still on the fence? Check out the first 3 chapters now!

FAQ

 A podcast, some acting things, preparing for a big move, oh and my next book of course.  

Sorry, it’s still a well guarded secret. But I may share more on this website when I’m ready. The first draft is almost complete and I’m feeling pretty good about that.

Should there be? Without giving too much away, I don’t think so. I left the story where I wanted to and think it would be difficult to return to now. I’m more excited by writing new projects.

I’d love to tell you, really. But again, it may reveal too much about the story. Still if you want to know, reach out and connect with me and I’ll share.

You’re limiting me to one thing?! I like character. I enjoy dropping characters into drama-infused scenarios and exploring how they react and grow from those situations. 

On the writing side, world building, but more like establishing settings and names for cities and trying to devise a natural history that seems habitable and real even if it’s not. It’s not as interesting to me as dialogue between characters interacting and therefore I feel it doesn’t come to me as easily. Right now, I haven’t established a lot of concrete settings on my book because it holds me up too much from finishing a draft. It’s right up there with editing for the umpteenth time and marketing. Thanks for checking out my book 🙂 

Unfortunately, no. It’s definitely something I considered, but with this being my first book I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself. With moving in the near future and not knowing what the outcome will be once I’m relocated, I didn’t want to have the worry about managing another thing I’d be accountable for. It’s definitely something I’d like to build towards though and if you’d like to stay connected for future updates I’d happily swap emails for when that time comes. 

Absolutely! A lot of people in my life were instrumental to my first book being completed and I’d be more than happy to pay it forward any way I can. Being a writer during COVID makes an already isolating job even more lonely. I’d love to be able to connect with other authors and share any advice I find useful. It’s my first book, but I feel like I learned a lot about the process through my journey. 

Checking out my site is amazing. Seriously, thank you! Continue to check back or connect with me on the channels available. Find other authors you like and buy their books from their websites. Our profits are often cannibalized by printing costs various fees/ royalty shares on other websites. Buying directly off our websites ensures we get a larger percentage of the profits. Most importantly, share our work with others if you enjoy it. Read, review, share.

Seriously, can’t say. Vaguely, I’ll admit that it’s definitely a departure from Chameleons and is a different genre. I’m aiming for something more ambitious and I’m excited by how much fun I’ve had writing it so far!

© Ric Fischer 2021May 6, 2024