Former Bainbridge Island Review editor Teresa Tsalaky has written and published her debut novel to great success.

“The Transition Witness: Book 1 – Breathe” is described as “a metaphysical/visionary science fiction adventure.” The novel is an adventure story with elements of romance.

It tells the story of Transition Witness DC-1128, a woman whose job is to verify the deaths of people who are euthanized at age 50. She revives one of the “transitioners” and together they escape their near future-based totalitarian society.

The novel’s sequel is slated to be published in December, with the conclusion of the trilogy expected next summer.

“People are hungry for good fiction that feeds the soul,” Tsalaky said.

“I think ‘The Transition Witness’ just hit the right combination of literary dynamism and a message that’s ripe for our times,” she said.

In spite of being a debut novel published independently as an e-book, with almost no author platform, “The Transition Witness” hit an Amazon top 50 list within two weeks of initial release last June.

The print edition was recently released as well.

The novel is in an emerging genre called visionary fiction, which emphasizes the transformation and evolution of humanity. According to the Visionary Fiction Alliance, interest in the genre — which became an official fiction category in 1999 — is growing rapidly.

This type of fiction was popularized in the 1990s by James Redfield’s “The Celestine Prophecy,” which sold more than 20 million copies.

The book can be seen at http://amzn.to/1iuplZX.

Tsalaky was editor of The Bainbridge Review in the late 1980s.