By Rachel Anderson
Contributing Writer

Originally published on LakePioneer.com

What will the world look like in the year 2040? Nobody knows for sure, but in Medina Author Andrew Hunkins’s new novel, “No Such Thing as Evil: Circle of Six, Book 1,” technology has worked its way into people’s lives in every way possible.

There is an integrated cell phone and Internet portal, cameras are everywhere watching people’s every move and self-driving vehicles crowd the streets. In addition, politics have changed dramatically. The United States is no longer a superpower, and an evil force has infiltrated the world in ways that are not yet understood.

Hunkins, whose day job is working as an expert on Microsoft’s Skype for Business phone system, began work on his techno-thriller about five years ago. He says the story idea came to him in a dream.

“In my dream there was an invisible friend/cloud/alien that gave me the ability to fly,” he said. “As I woke from that dream, a story idea came to me that the alien could be evil and could trick me into trusting it and letting it into my body.”

As the story begins, the main characters, Laura and Ben Richards, who work at the local university as political science and astrophysics professors, have made the decision to adopt a baby born to Laura’s friend, Marian Lumière, following a bizarre set of events. It isn’t long before Ben and Laura realize that the baby, named Chris, is different.

The baby is obviously a living, breathing being, but his vital signs do not register on the medical scanner, and he also seems to have some unusual abilities.

Meanwhile, a subplot is revealed in which The Circle of Six, a powerful group of men with other-worldly abilities, are sacrificing kidnapped women and relying on advanced global technology in their efforts to locate genetically unique fetuses before birth. Was Chris a baby they missed?

Worlds collide when Ben and Laura get in the way, pushed by Chris’ inner force, which evidently has a plan of its own.

“The thing that excited me most about writing this book was to create something that had layers. I approached my story from different angles,” said Hunkins. “My hope is that if my readers are on a business trip and just want a quick read and something exciting, they will blast through the thing and have a great time. For those who have some more time and want to slow down and look more into it, I’ve put things in there that are more enjoyable.”

For example, there are six images of significance to the story hidden in the cover. Inside, every page that has a “6” in it is bolded and there is also a hidden encryption code in the book.

In addition to offering an exciting read, the book serves another purpose: giving back.

A portion of the proceeds for each book sold (3 percent) will be donated to The Wounded Warrior Project. Another 3 percent will go to Minnesota’s Military Appreciation Fund. It is no accident that the donation amount is 6 percent. That figure is, of course, in reference to The Circle of Six.

“Giving back is very important to me, and I thought to myself the best recipients are those who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect the rest of us,” said Hunkins. “Those military men and women who drew the short straw and are in a wheelchair, psychologically harmed or worse. What kind of bravery does that take?”

Added Hunkins, “These heroes deserve as much thanks and gratitude as we can give them.”

Hunkins intends for The Circle of Six to be a trilogy. Books 2 and 3 will expose more secrets behind the Circle of Six and their leader, Aeron Skotino. While each book is a complete adventure, only after consuming all three accounts can one appreciate the magnitude of the ticking motivation behind the Circle of Six.

For more information, or to purchase a copy of No Such Thing as Evil, Circle of Six: Book 1, visit www.andrewhunkins.com. Books are also available direct from the distributor, Itasca Books, and on BarnesandNoble.com and amazon.com.

Andrew Hunkins is a software entrepreneur, who founded his first company, Unimax Systems Corp., from his dorm room at the University of Minnesota. He is also founder of the Internet start-up BusyKeeper LLC, holds two patents for disparate-data synchronization, and is a recipient of the Deloitte & Touche Fast 500 Award.

In addition to being a technology wizard, he has a black belt in martial arts. Andrew lives in the Minneapolis metropolitan with his wife, Jen, and two children.

When not writing, he enjoys watching science fiction movies, playing Call of Duty on the Xbox and eating clear gummy bears.