CLOUD HANDS: The Disclosure Files

Themes of secrecy and emerging awareness shape the world depicted in CLOUD HANDS by Nancy J. Nelson, where a quiet summer routine slowly opens into a much larger conflict.

CLOUD HANDS follows a diplomat who steps into a temporary summer assignment expecting calm, only to encounter signs of hidden forces shaping the world behind the scenes. While supervising two teenagers, she uncovers traces of concealed alien contact, suppressed medical developments, and advanced technologies kept out of public view. These threads all point toward the Partnership, a powerful corporate conglomerate operating far beyond government oversight. As danger escalates, she and the teens must piece together what they’ve discovered while navigating the risks of simply knowing too much. Their journey reveals that they may be witnessing the early waves of a global awakening—one that could shift humanity’s relationship to truth, power, and its own potential.

Nancy J. Nelson is a novelist whose work explores transformation, global complexity, and the evolving edge of human understanding. Her book Cloud Hands: The Disclosure Files – Book One draws on her 25-year career as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, a background that informs her interest in power structures, secrecy, and the choices that shape our collective future. Now living in Los Angeles, Nelson writes stories that spark curiosity and reflection about what may lie ahead.

More at https://www.thedisclosurefiles.com.

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Amazon: https://bit.ly/480bFbm

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243373375-cloud-hands

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book?

I didn’t research my book! I’m fascinated with the idea of aliens and UFOs, and have been following the research and news stories for a dozen years. It was logical to take these stories (and facts) and weave them into a science fiction series.

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?

The most challenging character was Melly, the Galactic Federation representative from an insectoid species. She was much harder to write than other characters, even other alien characters, for a couple of reasons: 1) Melly comes from a species that has had interstellar capabilities for thousands of years. What's the perspective of someone from a species with such a long history? I... don’t know. 2) Melly looks very different from humans. The other alien species in my series—the Suedes, the Pleiadians, and the Alpha Centaurians—all resemble humans to some extent, which made it easier for me to give them human-like emotions and desires. A praying mantis being who is eight feet tall? Not so much.  

Where do you get your ideas?

From real life. I got the diplomatic/government background from my 25 years working as a U.S. diplomat. The UFO and alien background are from current events, news stories, and reports from the last few decades. Why invent something when it’s right in front of you?

What sets your book apart from others in your genre?

I think my focus on Disclosure—the confirmation by world governments of an ET presence engaging the human race—is what makes my series unique in the science fiction genre. It’s not just the story—although having a good story is essential. I also explore issues such as the nature of power, who profits from keeping secrets, and how ordinary people can choose to walk down a path not approved by society.

What helps you overcome writer’s block?

My writers’ group! I started Cloud Hands two years before I moved to Los Angeles, but had only written three chapters. Joining my writers’ group—we meet once a week in a café—gave me accountability. The thought of going to a meeting and admitting I hadn’t written anything since the previous meeting was embarrassing. So I wrote. In six months, I had completed the first draft.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?

It was a Kirkus review that described my story as “fresh, exciting, and often unpredictable.”

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?

When I’m writing a book, I’ll write five hours a day, five days a week. But I’m retired—I realize that puts me in a privileged position.

Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?

I write in a coffee shop because my L.A. apartment doesn’t have air conditioning. Also, being outside my apartment means I can’t distract myself by cleaning, cooking, reading a book from the shelf, etc. It’s another form of accountability.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?

Coffee. Seriously, it’s the gift of the gods.

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?

Because I love the idea of aliens and UFOs, I love the idea that the universe is bigger and more awesome than we have been led to believe. 

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

In the first book of the series, the main character is Vicki Heywood, a U.S. diplomat on leave. In my ideal world, I’d pick Demi Lovato to play Vicki. She’s the right age, practices a martial art (albeit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rather than Tai Chi), and, most importantly, is personally interested in Disclosure. In real life, Demi has met with Dr. Steven Greer—the UFO researcher who has developed a system that ordinary people can use to directly contact aliens without going through a government middleman—several times to try to establish direct contact with extraterrestrials.

Fun & Lighthearted Qs

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Popcorn made at home with coconut oil, real butter, and sea salt. Made in a stir-crazy rather than in a microwave.

What are you binge-watching right now?

I just started watching the first season of Farscape on Amazon. How did I manage to miss it when it came out back in 1999?

If you could time-travel, where would you go?

I would really love to go back in time to visit some of the ancient civilizations—Egypt, Sumeria, the ancient Indus Valley, the Olmecs, etc.—to see how they accomplished what they did. 

What’s something that made you laugh this week?

Funny dog videos. When these start popping up on my internet feed, I end up getting to bed a couple of hours late.