John Stone had it all--a successful career, a bright future, and a family that loved him. All of that changed in a violent and tragic instant. In a desperate act of self-defense, John took the life of a young man while trying to thwart a robbery in a convenience store. He was deemed a hero, but remained horrified about what he had done. Was the incident merely an act of self-defense, or was their something hidden deep inside John that had been waiting to be unleashed? Ashamed of his actions and afraid for those around him, John left everything behind. He ran away to a meager nonviolent existence-alone in his guilt. This was John Stone's penance. John's life would take another unexpected turn in the form of Maguire, a mysterious and charismatic nomad who seems to have all the answers to John's problems. Maguire takes him under his wing, and John Stone's life once again spirals out of control. Maguire is, of course, not what he appears to be. Unbeknownst to John, his new friend is a con man who has been employed by a megalomaniac to test him. John is the first candidate for a new kind of reality television show called Target Audience. The show is the first of its kind in which new, authentic realities are created specifically for the participants, where they are forced to come face to face with their darkest truths. John Stone had it all--a successful career, a bright future, and a family that loved him. All of that changed in a violent and tragic instant. In a desperate act of self-defense, John took the life of a young man while trying to thwart a robbery in a convenience store. Was the incident merely an act of self-defense, or was their something hidden deep inside John that had been waiting to be unleashed? Ashamed and afraid for those around him, he left. He ran away to a nonviolent existence-alone in his guilt. It was John Stone's penance. Unbeknownst to John, his life is about to take another unexpected turn. He has been chosen to star in a new kind of reality television show called Target Audience. The participants are plunged into a new reality without knowing it, and are forced to face their darkest truths.
