Awakened by Helen Hardt

I know I said that this was my favourite series in my last post, but this HAS to be my favpurite book in the series. Helen has hit it out of the park with this one. This part of the series is following Dale (Talon's oldest), he is probably the most introverted of the bunch. His character development so far has been perfect, not too fast, nor none at all. There are secrets that are coming to the surface about the family that I don't think anyone was prepared for. I don't really want to give away much more as you just have to experience it for yourself, you will not be disappointed!! Thank you Helen, I don't know how you do it, but this series just keeps getting better and better.

Descent by Helen Hardt (Steel Brothers Saga #15)

This is probably my favourite series I have ever read, I am debating reading them again and doing a post on each one individually. This particular book wraps up the series as far as the children and parents are concerned, however, there are more books coming out after this that jump to the children's children, and I cannot wait! Helen you have done it yet again, a ful 5/5 from me, and I can't wait for the next installments, December cannot come soon enough!!

#Kickasswomen giveaway (closed)

Welcome to an awesome giveaway provided to us by Simon and Schuster Canada

I have read Dark Territory and The Passenger and I will be reviewing both of them for you today!

DARK TERRITORY

This book takes us on a wild ride through the underground railroad for women that are in abusive relationships. Our main character is Signey Sheppard, she is one of the volunteers for the organization. In this particular volume of the series we are following her with a woman that has needed to run away from her husband with her baby in tow. The husband is not abusive to her or the child, however, there are secrets that he is keeping that the wife has found out, and has put her and the baby in danger.

The husband is an up and coming Doctor with lots of resources on his side, so finding a spot to hold the wife and baby proves to be difficult. The organization has plenty of resources to choose from, so they decide to take the wife and baby through the US instead of bringing them over the border in to Canada. 

The pace of this book was awesome, I truly felt like I was on the ride with them. It was also nice to read about some places in Ontario Canada that I knew about. There is a side story in this book as well about someone called "the tracker". We do not learn till a little while in to the book why he is keeping track of Signey, why he would have any interest in her at all. He is very good at what he does, and can even find her when she is using a fake ID. 

Overall this book was close to being perfect for me, I give it a 4/5! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something fast paced and thrilling.

THE PASSENGER

This book takes a whole new look at the meaning of "shedding new skin" if you will. One of the opening lines of the book is In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it...

This is just the beginning of what you will have to take Tanya's word for throughout this novel. She is fantastic at hiding and taking on other identities. There are some interesting characters that she meets along the way, and lots of questions that are not answered till the very end of the novel.

Tanya has secrets from her past, even prior to Frank's death, and it was exciting to try and figure out what that secret is throughout the novel, and I was nowhere close to figuring it out, I can tell you that. 

Tanya puts on many different faces through this novel, some of them good, some of them not so good. I cannot imagine what she was thinking sometimes, and I think that is part of the point of this book, she is an unreliable character. 

Overall I really enjoyed this novel, and would rate it a 4/5 as well, if you are a fan of thrillers, this book is absolutely for you!

Now on to the giveaway, this is Canada only please, All you have to do is thank Simon & Schuster in the comments, and give a suggestion of a book that you have read that has a kick ass woman in it!

The Geneva Project - Lies Volume 3 by Christina Benjamin

The Geneva Project – Lies (vol.3) by Christina Benjamin

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Geneva-Project-Christina-Benjamin-ebook/dp/B012BYZBA6

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-geneva-project-christina-benjamin/1122378695?ean=2940152051162

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-geneva-project-lies/id1029330463?mt=11

Square: https://squareup.com/market/thegenevaprojectstore

Promo: New release. Third book in the award-wining YA fantasy fiction series, The Geneva Project

Can you live a life of LIES? That’s exactly what Geneva finds herself doing to protect everyone she loves. While Geneva and her friends embark on a dangerous mission to fulfill her destiny, the dark forces that seek her powers are closing in, putting everyone she cares about at risk. Geneva must lie about who she is, what she knows and her true feelings. Are all these lies worth it or will she go too far and lose everything she’s been fighting for?

About the Author:

Christina Benjamin is the Award-Winning Author of the Young Adult series The Geneva Project.

Her debut novel, Truth, has won multiple awards, including the 2014 FAPA Gold Medal for YA fiction.

Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, and offers them a new series to obsess over. She paints a vivid world, where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship.

Benjamin studied English at the University of Central Florida. She’s dedicated to giving back to the community and speaking at schools to inspire creativity in young writers.

Social Media Links:

https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/TheGenevaProjectBook?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/AuthorCBenjamin

https://instagram.com/authorcbenjamin/

https://instagram.com/thegenevaprojectbook_fanpage

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

http://christinabenjaminauthor.com/

http://www.thegenevaprojectbook.com/

https://squareup.com/market/thegenevaprojectstore

Excerpt from book:

Chapter 1

We marched forward out of the protective tree line of the forest and into the open field; a wall of bodies, hands clasped moving with purpose toward the Troian Center. Even though we had the protection of Remi’s invisibility power, I still felt tense and exposed. My heart pounded with uncertainty as a cool wind rushed past and we picked up speed. I could barely feel the strange sensation of lightness that being invisible provided. My skin tingled, but it felt more like nerves than magic. The last time I’d been invisible the sensation had felt much more intense, which had me worried that maybe it wasn’t working right. The possibility that Remi wasn’t strong enough to stretch his power over all of us made me shutter with uneasiness. This was more people than he’d ever tried to share his power with before .

The Giveaway:

$50 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway Read below for an interview with the author! Tell us about the Geneva Project series in 25 words or less

• Epic adventure of friendship, magic and legends that will make you search your soul to find what’s most important in life, love or destiny.

What was your favorite scene to write in Lies?

• I can’t give it away, but it’s near the end of the book in the Locker.

What was the hardest scene to edit out?

• The ending. I changed it a million times. I knew how I wanted it to end as the writer, but then when I read it as the reader, I hated it. Plus I had to take my characters into consideration. So the ending was hard and I condensed and changed it a ton. With the help of my BETA readers and editor I think it’s at a great place now.

How many books will be in the Geneva Project series?

• I plan to have 4 books in the series. I’m currently writing #4 right now. I love the characters so much that I’m going to give some of them spin offs and I have an idea for a prequel.

Are you currently working on anything else?

• I’m co-authoring a middle grade book with Jamie M. Engle. I’m also co-authoring a children’s book with N. Jane Quackenbush. And I’ve started a novella that may have turned into another fun YA series. It’s about a drama student that ends up falling into some of her favorite plays.

Which authors inspire you?

• Oh man, so many. JK Rowling because, c’mon Harry Potter. And so many that I’ve recently met, because they’re all incredibly kind people that are truly following their dreams and happy to share it with you.

What is currently in your tbr pile?

• That pile is overwhelming. I don’t really get time to read too much these days because I’m so busy writing! I have some books by Stephanie Erickson and Amy Bartol on my desk that I’m determined to get to next.

What is the best book you have read recently?

• Anything Cassandra Clare. I guess I finished the Infernal Devices series last and those books made me cry so they’re up there on the Favs list.

Run by H.G. Lynch Book Blitz

ABOUT THE BOOK

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25136601-run

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Run-Caged-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00UIFE422

Tilly is a witch…at least, she thinks she is. All she really knows is that she

has powers she shouldn’t, and that the cruel women she escaped

from – who definitely are witches – will stop at nothing to make her their

prisoner again because of those powers.

But Tilly has fallen in with a strange group – a pack of werewolves. The pack

wants to protect her; none of them more so than Dominic, the alpha’s

kind-hearted son. Tilly thinks she might be falling for him, but she can’t help

being fascinated by his brooding, mysterious half-brother Spencer.

Caught between the two, Tilly isn’t sure anymore what she’s most scared of:

the witches hunting her down, or her own heart betraying her.

EXCERPT

His fingers on my wrist felt too warm and too intimate, his touch making things deep inside me tingle. There was so little between us, literally, only my nightshirt and underwear separated my body and his. I could feel the growling inside him, vibrating through my blood. I’d never felt desire like that, never known it could be so addictive, like a drug I wanted more of.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

H.G. Lynch is a Scottish Paranormal Romance author, avid reader, and cat-lover. She spends most of her days writing, while wrestling her cat, Sooki, off her laptop. She believes that chocolate cake can save the world, and is highly caffeine-addicted. She can occasionally be found rolling on the floor, laughing manically, when she’s consumed too much caffeine. She loves horse-riding, Star Trek, and snow. 

Her books are dark fantasy romances, usually with a bad boy and a bad girl. Sometimes with zombies, sometimes vampires, sometimes other things. 

Author Page: www.facebook.com/authorhglynch

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/H.G.-Lynch/e/B00HZ4PIM4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hglynch

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22105022-the-girl-on-the-train

SUMMARY

Three women, three men, connected through marriage or infidelity. Each is to blame for something. But only one is a killer in this nail-biting, stealthy psychological thriller about human frailty and obsession. 
      Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day? 
     Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared. 
     Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan's body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage. 
     A sinister and twisting story that will keep you guessing at every turn,The Girl on the Train is a high-speed chase for the truth.

REVIEW

I loved this one! It was curious to read about a situation from an unreliable narrator, she was drunk most of the time. Rachel is a 30 something year old who has been married and divorced with no children. At the beginning of the novel things were slowly put in to place by her and a couple other characters, and as you keep reading (especially from Rachel's point of view) you begin to wonder if everything is part of their imagination, or has it actually happened.

There was things going on where I thought I figured out what the big twist was, but on more than one occasion, I was totally wrong, I actually love when this happens, you get more out of a story I think. The characters were generally likable, even Rachel sometimes, at other times you really just want to shake her with the drinking. One thing I can never figure out is why Rachel would want to put herself in the same situation time after time, but in the end it all seems to come together.

I can sortive see where people are getting the comparison to Gone Girl, however, I think that they both stand on their own tow feet very well, and if you liked one you should like the other. At first I didn't know what to think when Jess went missing, was she really missing, or did she run away with someone else? That part kept the story going at a really good pace.

I am not sure what else to say without getting in to spoilers, however, if you are looking for a great thriller that will keep you guessing right till the very end, this is a story for you! I give it a 5/5!

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18467818-an-untamed-state

SUMMARY

Roxane Gay is a powerful new literary voice whose short stories and essays have already earned her an enthusiastic audience. In An Untamed State, she delivers an assured debut about a woman kidnapped for ransom, her captivity as her father refuses to pay and her husband fights for her release over thirteen days, and her struggle to come to terms with the ordeal in its aftermath.

Mireille Duval Jameson is living a fairy tale. The strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons, she has an adoring husband, a precocious infant son, by all appearances a perfect life. The fairy tale ends one day when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight by a gang of heavily armed men, in front of her father’s Port au Prince estate. Held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander, Mireille waits for her father to pay her ransom. As it becomes clear her father intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.

An Untamed State is a novel of privilege in the face of crushing poverty, and of the lawless anger that corrupt governments produce. It is the story of a willful woman attempting to find her way back to the person she once was, and of how redemption is found in the most unexpected of places. An Untamed State establishes Roxane Gay as a writer of prodigious, arresting talent.

REVIEW

Let me first start by saying that I don't feel as though I could give this book the praise that it deserves, nothing I say is going to be able to convey how I feel about this book, it may be a work of fiction, however, these things happen (more often than we probably would like to admit), and it is only an excellent writer that can bring about the feelings that I have even after sitting for a couple weeks after finishing this novel.

So in this story we follow Mireille whom goes back to Haiti to visit her parents, and winds up getting kidnapped (this is not a spoiler!). Mireille and her husband live a pampered life in the US, she is fully willing to admit to this, they have everything that they need and enjoy dinner parties with friends, and having the best of everything. They also have a small child that they adore and were thinking of having more.

What I loved about this novel was the way that Gay was not afraid to tackle the tough issues, not only the kidnapping, but everything that went along with it, and everything that happens after. Even though it was only 13 days that she was gone, you truly can see how she is really trapped for the rest of her life, and how things will never be the same for her. I have never read a book (besides a memoir) that is able to rip my heart out so much for the victim in the story, you wish and wish for her that it is all a bad dream, and that she will wake up and be back with her family again. The characters were beautifully written, even the ones that you want to detest. Every one of them brought something new and interesting to the story, whether it was to make you hate them, or love them. 

The book was told in alternating chapters of Mireille either during her kidnapping, or her remembering things from before she was kidnapped, either from childhood or when she was older dating Michael, or when they were first married, both perspectives were heart wrenching, because you knew that even when this ordeal was over, nothing would ever be the same for her again.

If you are looking for a serious read that covers many topics and do not have any trigger warnings about sexual violence towards women, then this is a novel for you! I absolutely give it a 5/5.

Unlovely by Celeste Conway Review and Giveaway!!

Published: January 2nd 2015 by Merrit Press

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22456995-unlovely

Pages: 256

SUMMARY

Accidents happen. But they happen more often when the beautiful ballet dancers return each summer to the island. When he hears the ruthless way that the loveliest dancer talks about boys getting what they deserve when they break girls' hearts, Harley, home for the summer after his first year of college, wonders if he's losing his mind. He knows for sure that he's losing his heart to this girl...But then, strange incidents start happening all over the island and Harley is caught between desire and fear: could he also be in danger of losing his life? 

REVIEW

This was a very quick enjoyable one sitting read for me. I was intrigued at what was going to happen and when, and when it did, I didn't really see it coming.

Harley is home for the summer living on his Dad's boat with him again, he is a freshman at college, something not a lot of people get to say from the small town that he grew up in. Most times people just stay in the town and work where they can. Harley is determined to make more of himself.

Everything is fine until one day the girls from the local ballet school come down for their regular once a week trip in to town. Harley sees a new girl has joined the group, and something about her is very interesting to him. 

His Dad does some repairs at the ballet school, so one day Harley went with him, and it was the first time that he met Cassandra, and he was head over heels instantly. She seemed interested too, so they finally after a little while of flirtation make a date so he can take her out sailing on his boat. 

There is a little complication though, namely his ex-girlfriend Mairin. Things are maybe not as over as Harley had thought when she got married and is pregnant with someone else's child. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would give it a 4/5!

GIVEAWAY

Bethany at Merrit Press has been kind enough to offer up 2 copies of this book for anyone in the US or Canada! All you have to do is follow the blog and lave a comment thanking Bethany and Merrit Press! All entries will be entered to win via random.org on April 3rd.

Unexpected Eden (Eden #1) by Rhenna Morgan

Published: December 29 2014 by Lyrical Press

Pages: 259

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23269158-unexpected-eden?ac=1

SUMMARY

Paradise, love, power…and a prophecy with a price. 

Most people believe Eden no longer exists. Lexi Merrill’s about to learn they’re wrong. A hard-working bartender with a self-sufficient backbone and a wary nature, she knows pickup lines like a second language. So, when Eryx Shantos barges into her world with too-smooth words and a body to back it up, she locks up her libido and vows to keep her distance. 

Eryx has other ideas. As king of the Myren race, Eryx is duty-bound to enforce the laws preventing exposure of their existence to humans. Yet The Fates have led him through his dreams to Lexi, a temptation he doesn’t want to resist. The question--is she Myren, or human, which makes her forbidden fruit?

When Eryx’s nemesis tags Lexi as his next target, Eryx insists on taking her home where he can keep her safe. Lexi had no idea “home” would mean the one-and-only land of creation…or that she’d trigger a prophecy that could doom her newfound race.

REVIEW

Let me just start off by saying that I LOVE the world that Rhenna has created in this novel!

We start off the novel with Lexi at work as a bartender, and little does she know that her entire world is going to be flipped on its side in the next 24 hours. We first meet Eryx when he goes in to Lexi's work and pays off the other bartender on duty so that she will serve him, it does not turn out the way he wanted, so he waits for her after work and persuades her to have breakfast with him, everything takes off from there and does not stop right up until the last page of the novel.

No one believes that Eden exists anymore, however, Lexi is about to learn that it still does, and she has more of a connection to it then she could possibly imagine. The only person that she seems to have a connection to in the real world is Ian, a retired police officer that now does private investigations, we learn more about her history as the story goes on, however, there is still so much that is not explained and I am eager to know, and I like that Rhenna did not give everything away in the first installment, it gives us readers something to look forward to.

Eryx may just be one of my favourite book boyfriends! He is handsome, strong, and romantic. He also happens to be the King of the Myren, something he fails to tell Lexi when he brings her to Eden. He also has a twin brother and a sister whom Lexi meets within her first day of being there, and everyone accepts her as family right away as Eryx has been dreaming about finding her for years, and everyone feels like they know her already. 

I want to live in Eden, I want to have what Lexi has, Rhenna has created a fantastic world and I cannot wait to read the next installment! Nothing is confusing about getting to know the world with her world building, and the names that she gives everything like in some other novels. I marvel at Rhenna's imagination, and how she thought up all the names she gives everything.

I absolutely give this novel a 5/5 and if you are looking for a great paranormal romance, this one is for you! I have already messaged Rhenna and begged about when the next installment is coming out lol!

The Perfect Mother

Published November 24 2014 by Plume

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893341-the-perfect-mother?ac=1

SUMMARY

When an American exchange student is accused of murder, her mother will stop at nothing to save her.

A midnight phone call shatters Jennifer Lewis’s carefully orchestrated life. Her daughter, Emma, who’s studying abroad in Spain, has been arrested after the brutal murder of another student. Jennifer rushes to her side, certain the arrest is a terrible mistake and determined to do whatever is necessary to bring Emma home. But as she begins to investigate the crime, she starts to wonder whether she ever really knew her daughter. The police charge Emma, and the press leaps on the story, exaggerating every sordid detail. One by one, Emma’s defense team, her father, and finally even Jennifer begin to have doubts.
 A novel of harrowing emotional suspense, The Perfect Mother probes the dark side of parenthood and the complicated bond between mothers and daughters.

REVIEW

I won this book as part of the Goodreads first reads program, I didn't know what to expect from it, except I was hoping that it would keep me on the edge of my seat with what was going to happen next, and it did not disappoint!

I liked most of the characters, however, I did not like Emma, she came off as a spoiled rotten little brat, it was not till the end of the book that I started to feel differently about her. She did not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation that she was in, and just seemed to wrapped up in her own head to want to try and help herself at all.

Jennifer was a dutiful mother who only wanted to help her daughter get out of a very serious situation, even when her daughter did not want to help at all. I can understand the reasons for her actions throughout the novel, and I think that I would do the same thing if I was in her shoes. Mark  was strong through the whole thing, even though he could not be there for Emma as much as he wanted to.

I think my favourite character was Roberto, he was the manager of the case for Jennifer, and he had his own side line story that I would like to see turned in to a follow up from this book, don't know if that is going to happen.

I liked how the author gave instances of where the criminal justice system was different in Spain than it was in the US, you could tell she did her homework there. The police had their own theory on what happened, and with all the facts that Emma was giving them, I believed them over her, and as much as Jennifer did not want to, there was a point in the novel where she could not put those doubts aside anymore. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I will be looking up the authors other work as well, I give this book a 4/5!

Lunar Passing Blog Tour

Book Title: Lunar Passing (Book 2 of the Caged Moon Series) by Rachel Deagan

Genre: YA  Paranormal Romance

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lunar-Passing-Caged-Moon-Series-ebook/dp/B00L05RTXU

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17335483-lunar-passing

As if in slow motion, the world spun. The front fender of the truck slammed into us from behind, and everything lurched forward. Bags, arms, clothes, sailed by my head. The muffled sound of screams were lost somewhere in a tumultuous roar as the van hit a pothole, and we began to roll. Cold metal crushed in on me, and the splintering sound of gunshots echoed in my ears…

Several months had passed since the murders in the old farmhouse and secrets had been revealed. Too bad a cover up in this day and age, hadn’t been exactly so easy.

EXCERPT

“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, standing in the doorway at the side of the room marked Staff Only. I hadn’t heard the main door open behind me, nor had I felt the cold draft of air that would have been pulled in with him. So he was already here, before me. The thought sent goose bumps down my spine. “Liam said for everyone to stay put, so we wouldn’t be seen.”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” I said, trying to front an air of self-confident bravery. “Why are you here then?”

A devious smile rose across his lips. “I don’t take orders from my brother. Apparently, you don’t either. I admire that.”

My stomach felt sick. How could he think that I would ever be on his side about anything, especially in defiance of Liam? “He loves you,” I blurted out, trying to refrain from shaking. I was so upset. “How dare you.”

“Oh, please. Don’t go getting your panties all in a bunch. You really need to learn how to relax.” He shook his head, and closed the staff door behind him. “I was teasing, Charlotte, but that aside, what are you doing out here?”

My wolf wanted to claw and scratch him. He had some nerve. “I don’t need to be telling you anything,” I said, slipping the envelope into my pocket while he closed the staff door behind him.

“Well, good then.” He smiled in a way that made me want to growl. “Then I don’t have to tell you, what I’m doing either.” He winked, moving past me to the main door leading to the curb outside. “We have a truce.”

“Wait,” I said, and he paused, lifting a brow. “What are you talking about? Why were you in the office? That’s staff only.”

“Now, come on, Charlotte. I thought we had a deal.”

“I never agreed to anything, and you don’t exactly have a great track record. Did you do something to the guy who works here? Where is he?”

Aaron shrugged, extending his arms with mocked innocence.

I sighed. “Fine, I was going to mail a letter to my parents to tell them I was okay. I didn’t want them to worry.”

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. “That’s all I wanted to know.” He turned back to the door, swinging it wide. The cool air nipped at my skin, making me shiver.

“Hey,” I said, stomping up to him, “that’s not fair. I told you what I was doing. Now you have to.”

“Why?” he asked with a chuckle. “You really are fun to mess with though,” he teased with a grin. “The look on your face is great.”

God, I hated him. I tried to stay calm.

“Did you do something to the man who works here?” I demanded through my teeth, barely containing the coiling fury building inside me.

He licked his lip and then leaned in close to me, his breath tickling my ear. “I ate him.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel grew up in small town Massachusetts where she spent most of her time writing about strange paranormal creatures instead of paying attention in class. She has always been considered the ‘dreamy’ one with her head in the clouds, but it has all been worth it. Rachel, now, is YA Author of both The Caged Moon Series, and The Prophecy.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5447836.Rachel_Deagan

Website: http://moonlightprose.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @racheldeagan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.deagan

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After Blog Tour

After: (After Series Book 1) by Samantha Gregory

Genre: YA Horror

Published: May 31st, 2014

Published by J Ellington Ashton Press

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22398826-after

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/After-Series-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00KQ3IY54

SUMMARY

The dead walked. The world fell apart. But what happened after? Jenna Deluise is just trying to survive in this broken world, but after her father’s apparent suicide she discovers that she didn’t really know him at all. How was he connected to the zombies? Why is his former boss so sure he is alive?

What else was he hiding?

EXCERPT

The dead walked. People try to forget, to pretend it didn’t

happen. But it happened. I’ve heard the stories, the horror. I’ve even

seen some of it for myself. Lives were destroyed, families torn apart,

so many turned, and when it was over - the world was a different

place.

Now the dead are gone, turned to ash.

From the ashes of the old government rose the New Alliance, a

powerful military group who helped us rebuild and aided in creating

a vaccine to prevent another outbreak.

It came with a price, of course. The Alliance has complete

control over the country. Anyone who goes up against them is sent to

one of the many containment camps.

Maybe we were safer with the dead...

One

Jenna

I kept my head down as I walked along the C road, clutching the

bag of groceries to my chest. It wasn’t the kind of neighborhood you

wanted to linger in, and it was one of the better ones in the city. I

sidestepped a man sitting on the ground. He was wrapped in an old,

tattered blanket. He held his hands out to whoever passed him,

begging for any money they could spare. I tried not to look at him. I

didn’t have any money to give him. I barely had enough for the

groceries I just bought.

Joining the queue for the checkpoint, I tried to ignore the chill

wind blowing. Summer was definitely over. My jacket was

threadbare as it was and I couldn’t afford a new one. Winter was

going to be fun. Not.

I kept my gaze fixed on the ground as I moved closer to the front

of the line. It wasn’t a good idea to make eye contact with a lot of

the people who lived around here. I missed our old house. At least

you could walk the streets without worrying about getting mugged,

or worse.

I was jostled from behind by a woman wearing a black knit cap

and a long black coat.

“What are you looking at?” she snapped. I quickly faced front. I

wasn’t interested in a fight; I just wanted to go home.

I swiped my identity pass at the checkpoint; I was two blocks

from home. The Alliance soldier posted there scrutinized it carefully

before handing it back. Seriously, did I look like a threat?

“Reason for entering this area?” he asked, his cold blue eyes

piercing mine. He wore the standard black uniform with the red

Alliance symbol on the breast. An automatic weapon hung at his side

and I had no doubt that he knew how to use it. The New Alliance

was the ultimate law enforcement.

“I live here,” I said.

“What’s in the bag?”

“Food.”

I don’t think he liked my tone, but I didn’t have another I cared

to use. Every freaking day I had to go through this. I’m pretty sure it

was the same guard too, but the AS had a habit of making people’s

lives miserable. He took his time searching my bag, for all that was

in it. A few canned goods.

The line behind me was a long one; everyone was crowded

together, eager to get home before dark. Most of the people looked

half starved. Food wasn’t cheap in this quadrant and a lot of people

had taken to stealing it to survive. We weren’t that bad, yet.

Finally, he waved me through. I hurried away, glad to put him

behind me.

I didn’t get far before startled cries rang through the crowd. I

glanced back to see someone stagger into the road. He was dressed

in rags, his face covered in dirt. The crowd fell silent as he let out a

loud moan. I froze. It couldn’t be. My heart began to race.

A ripple went through the crowd and one word rang out clearly.

The word no one wanted to hear, the word most people were too

terrified to even utter.

Several AS ran forward, weapons already drawn. When the man

saw them coming he dropped the act and raised his hands in

surrender.

“It was a joke,” he cried as he was tackled to the ground. There

were grunts and cries from him as the AS laid into him. Idiot!

Nobody tried to help him, and I didn’t blame them. It wasn’t

something to joke about.

They hauled him to his feet and led him away. I wasn’t sticking

around any longer.

Turning into the alleyway that would take me home, I found that it

was already occupied by a street vendor, selling a variety of fruits

that were hard to come by nowadays.

“Hey sweetness,” the vendor crooned at me. I glanced at him,

taking in the ratty hair, beard and cold black eyes that were checking

me out. I used my free hand to pull my jacket tighter around me.

I sped up, hoping to get past him, but he stepped forward,

blocking my path.

“Why don’t you choose something nice for yourself, then we can

discuss payment,” he raised an eyebrow. He was standing way too

close for my liking. I could smell his rancid breath.

9

He was at least six inches taller than me and while he was no

wrestler, he still had more muscle than me. This could go wrong

very quickly. Thinking fast, I said, “Do you have a permit to sell

these goods?”

I tried to keep my voice steady. The question seemed to confuse

him, “What?”

“A permit. Under section seven of the New Alliance code, it is

illegal to sell imported goods without one.”

“Yeah? And what would you know about it, little girl?”

I pulled an ID card from my jacket pocket, “Plenty, I’m an

undercover agent for the Alliance.”

He backed away, swearing, “An agent? What are they hiring

them straight out of kindergarten now?”

I glared at him. Okay, I look slightly younger than my seventeen

years but not that young.

“I should shut you down right now,” I said.

“Come on, I’m just trying to make a living, like everyone else.”

I sighed and took a closer look at his pitch. I spied some oranges.

I hadn’t had one in years. I picked up three of them and dropped

them into my grocery bag.

The vendor watched me, but didn’t say anything. Usually where

there was one agent, another was never far behind. He was probably

used to them shaking him down. Why would they pay for things

when they could just take them?

I lifted an apple too, making a show of biting into it. It was

delicious.

“If I catch you around here again, I’ll shut you down,” I walked

away.

At the end of the alley I turned right, passing a burnt out car. A

huge black skull had been painted on the wall beside it, along with

the words CHAOS REIGNS. Yeah, it did.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When she’s not writing, Samantha works as a journalist and in her spare time she enjoys reading, archery and is learning to play guitar. After is her second novel and is the first book in a new zombie series.

Website: http://www.skgregory.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6574558.S_K_Gregory

Twitter: @sam_skgregory

Blog: http://www.skgregory.com/blog/4561642134

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