In a project that has been 11 years in the making, Carrollton author Kevin Downs has published his first novel, titled “Spydentity,” released nationwide on June 22.

Downs describes his novel as the first “bio-industrial espionage thriller.” It tells the story of Nathan Bishop, an ex-Navy SEAL on military leave in Utah. A cure for cancer, a top-secret cloning project and international intrigue surrounding the advent of new technology pull Bishop back into the spy world.

“The dangerous fusion of information and life sciences in this new millennium sets the stage for a great deal of greed, betrayal and international intrigue,” Downs said.

But his story is not all about spy chases and scientific warfare.

“There is also an element of romance between the main character, Nathan Bishop, and a female character. So there’s something for everyone,” Downs said.

With settings in exotic places like Bulgaria and central Africa, Downs’ modern-day James Bond character sets out on an adventure the author hopes will be a page-turner from beginning to end.

The book was published by Bookstand Publishing, a Vanity publisher that published the book at Downs’ own expense.

“Spydentity” hit the virtual shelves of the online Barnes & Noble bookstore last week, and several other bookstores are sure to follow, Downs said.

It was quite a difficult journey for Downs from the many ideas he had to words on the page.

He said that when he first started the book, he would be kept awake by the twisting-and-turning plot for nights on end, getting barely any sleep for six months straight. This was more than 10 years ago, and the battle of getting his first book written has been difficult all the way through.

“Luckily, the first one’s always the hardest, or so I’ve heard,” he said.

Downs said he is halfway done with the sequel to “Spydentity,” and that it would probably be finished and released in February of next year.

“It’s always been planned to be at least a trilogy known as the ‘Spydentity Series,’ but this single book can easily stand alone as a comprehensive novel,” Downs said.

Downs grew up as a self-proclaimed “Army brat.” His father was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and his stepfather was in the Central Intelligence Agency and Secret Service under former President Richard Nixon. Born in Fort Rucker, Ala., Downs said he has always had an eye for militaristic spy games and was inspired to write this book because of his family’s history in the world of espionage.

Downs said he was first inspired to start writing by his seventh-grade English teacher.

“She was the first one to make me realize that I could write, and I started right there in that classroom with short stories and things like that,” Downs said.

Downs will be appearing at Savannah State University on July 10 for a book signing and at the Decatur Book Festival on Labor Day weekend for a question-and-answer session about the book and another book signing.