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Second Chances, #2
Expected release is December 19, 2013
Cover designed by Claudia at PhatPuppyArt
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Lloyd was born in Oakland in 1961, a first-generation American child to Jamaican parents. As a child his trips to Jamaica in the 60's and 70's shaped who he became.Good dialogue is one of the backbones of a good book. It’s used to reveal characters’ personality, their relationships with each other, to advance the plot, moving the story forward, and sets the mood and the tension of the story Without it your book would be stilted and tedious. You need to take the time to develop and be sure to always include good dialogue in your book. But don’t let that make you nervous, dialogue is also fun to write.
Use Dialogue to Define Your Character
You’ve heard the saying, “Show, don’t tell.” Well, the same thing goes for your describing your character’s personality. Instead of saying, “She’s spoiled,” you can use dialogue of her plotting or crying to get her way. Instead of telling that the bad guy is – well bad, develop his personality through his dialogue. Here, you can write his dialogue to be cold and calculating while he’s talking to another character. You can also use that same dialogue to show whether the person he’s speaking with is fearful of him or not. Your readers are smart. Let them know that you know they are. Engage them. Lead them in the direction you want them to go with the dialogue you use not by telling them what you want them to know.
Additionally, adding beats around the dialogue helps to develop your character’s personality as well. Such as writing that while a character is being chastised, “he gnawed on his nails.” Or, that while talking, “she stood, legs apart, with her hands on her hips.” But too many beats can be detrimental to a string of dialogue. You’ll lose the “back and forth” of it taking away, losing its realistic quality.
Be Careful Using Tags
The best tag to use after a sentence of dialogue, if you are going to use one, is “said.” Most people when they speak “say” the words. Now you may say, “Duh. Everyone knows that.” But you’ll find that many written works have characters “sighing,” “laughing,” and “exclaiming” their words. For instance, “I’ve had such a long day,” she sighed. Where it is better to say, “I’ve had such a long day,” she said and sighed. Or, “You’re kidding,” he laughed. Yep, you got it, it’s better to write, “You’re kidding,” he said and laughed. Bet now you know the best way to use that pesky, “he exclaimed.” (Hint: Don’t.)
And it’s okay to use “said” over and over (and over) in your novel. You don’t need to change up. Believe me it won’t make the book boring. I am not saying don’t ever use tags, some, such as “bellowed” and “mumbled” are actually how a person would say the words. Of course, “asked,” “replied,” and “questioned,” are always good, too. My advice, however, is to use tags, other than “said,” sparingly.
Use Dialogue to Make Information Dumps Less Boring
More often than not, to advance your story, you need to describe a history of something, or a give a back story to a place and you need to write a big, ole’ long paragraph (or two) to do it. That can knock a reader right out of the pull of your story. A good way to unload that information is to include it in dialogue. Let one of the characters tell about the history or the back story to another character. It may not always appropriate for the scene (the character being told would already know this information), but where it is, it’ll make the “dump” a lot less boring
Time slowed down and started to drag. People and things were moving in slow motion, their mouths opened yelling at me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I felt like I was in a vacuum and I couldn’t get out.
The car drove home on auto pilot. Pulling in my driveway, I saw Mase’s car. Now, I’d have to try and explain it to him.
I stared at the notebook sitting on the seat next to me. Still. Inanimate. Yet, it mocked me. I wish I could just make it go away.
Finally, I grabbed the notebook and got out of the car. When I went in the house Mase was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and reading a magazine.
“Where’re the kids?” I figured I would try this “calm” act again.
“They’re off somewhere.”
I looked over at him. He was sitting there, eating his bowl of cereal. Not a care in the world. For some reason that made me mad.
“Mase.” I shouted his name. He looked at me startled. “Now, I guess when I cook you won’t be hungry.”
He attempted to protest but had a mouth full of cereal and muffled words tumbled out. I walked over to the sink and there were several other dishes, skillets and pots in the sink. I really didn’t think I’d been gone that long.
“So what, Mase?” I pointed to the sink. “The cereal is your dessert?”
“I’ll eat whatever you cook.”
“Yeah, I bet you will,” I said.
I hadn’t planned on cooking anyway.
“Where’ve you been?” He asked casually.
“I went to work. Then I just kinda drove around for a while then went to see Greg at his office.” I tried to be causal, too.
“Yeah, Greg called. Said you were having some kind of nervous breakdown or something right in his office.”
“He said that?”
“Yep.”
“What’d you say?”
“Just told him I would check out our medical coverage to make sure it covered mental health. I told him that I would never leave you just because you had become mentally unsound, but just in case, maybe he should draw up some papers for us before you become fully incompetent.”
I mustered up a smile.
“So you want to tell me about this? Or do you want to just go around flipping out in the middle of Downtown Cleveland and keep it to yourself?”
I looked at him. One gift my husband had always given me was his time and understanding. He would listen to me attentively, and he would hear what I was saying. Walking over to the kitchen table I sat down.
“It’s about the manuscripts.” I laid the notebook on the table and pushed it toward him.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m listening.”
I started to cry. Again.
“You know the notebook that I got from Mrs. Margulies contained the copy of the manuscript that I found in Jerusalem, right?” He nodded. “Well, once I translated it, I found that it contained some very surprising -” I took a deep breath. “Some very disturbing information.”
“Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m scared.”
“Scared of what? Is this information that terrible?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I don’t think so but I’m the only one in the world who knows this. I’m a historian and now I know something that I don’t want to tell anyone. I want to hide it. To put it in a cave in the middle of the desert and pray that no one finds it. Ever.” I stood up as I talked and began to pace the floor like I had done in Greg’s office.
Mase watched me. “So, why can’t you tell anyone?”
“Because.”
“Because?”
“Because no one would believe me. Everyone would think I’m crazy.”
“A lot of us already do.”
“And, ridicule me.” I hoped no one had been ridiculing me.
“Really?”
“Yes, really and we, well at least I, would be the laughing stock of the century, of all eternity.” I started to cry more. I went over in front of the kitchen sink and leaned against the counter.
“Don’t cry, Justin.” He got up and came and stood in front of me. Wiping my tears with the palm of his hand, he put his arm around me.
“It’s what I found out.” I looked up at him. “They played God, Mase.”
“Who played God?”
“I can’t explain it. I couldn’t explain it to Greg. I don’t think I can explain it to anyone. Here, you read it.” I walked over to the kitchen table picked up the notebook and offered it to Mase. Instead he grabbed my hand and headed out of the kitchen.
“How about if we go to your study? We can talk more comfortably there. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
“Well, we’ll get interrupted soon enough.” I wiped the tears out of my eyes and looked down at my watch. “The kids will probably come in any minute. I’m surprised they’re not here already.”
“No they won’t interrupt. They won’t be here.” I looked at him. “After Greg called and told me that you had lost all of your marbles and was headed home, I had Claire come and get them. They’re spending the night with her.”
I smiled at him. He’s so smart. I feel so bad that he has such a crazy wife. He really doesn’t deserve all of the grief I pile up on him.
“Did you tell her about my little breakdown?”
“Babe, we all know how you are. Really, it’s okay.”
“Speaking of which, maybe I should call Greg and let him know I made it home okay.”
“I already called him. I called after I saw you sitting out in the driveway.”
“You saw me sitting out there?” He nodded. “And you didn’t say anything?”
“Nope. Figured you’d come in the house eventually. And, even if you didn’t, I thought I could at least let Greg know you weren’t out there somewhere, in your car, hysterical, runnin’ over folks.”
I had acted a little bizarre.
“So, before I start reading this thing,” he took the notebook from me, “why don’t you tell me about it first?” We walked into my study and he pulled off my jacket, threw it across my desk and sat me down in a chair.
“Ha, I don’t even know how or where to begin.”
“Well, I guess the Mad Hatter said it best -”
“Start at the beginning, go until you get to the end and then stop. Or something like that, right?”
“Right.” He nodded, smiling.
I knew exactly what he was thinking. I was beginning to get as corny as Mase.
In 1997, Biblical archaeologist, Justin Dickerson, is unhappy with her life and has decided to run away from her problems. Intervening, her mentor asks that she go with him to Jerusalem for the Fifty Year Jubilee of the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There she finds that in 1949 some of the 2,000 year old manuscripts, hidden in clay pots in the caves at Qumran, may have been destroyed.
Justin, obsessed with this revelation, is determined to get to the bottom of the deceit. Uncontrollable emotion takes hold of her, and family and faith help guide her as she unfolds the truth of Earth's ancient mysteries, discovering what really happened In the Beginning...
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Jayna and Ethan have a spectacular wedding in the Astral plane. Life goes on in a happy monotone for a few years, but they are still forbidden to see each other on Earth.
One morning, Jayna and Liam do not wake up from their state of suspended animation. Something major has happened on the Astral plane and Jayna is not telling them the whole story, but there is no denying the sense of danger.
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The Interview
How many books are in The Astral Ordinance series? Do you have a plan or will you just go with the flow.
There are two published books in the series, the third one is being written. I am going with the flow. As long as the story is flowing for me I will keep writing. I can honestly say that I don’t see this series as being completed in three or four books. The story and the characters are very rich. They come to life for me and demand that their story be told.
What is the inspiration for the series?
The inspiration for the series are the various Ascended Masters that I know about. Ascended Masters (also known as Enlightened Masters or Self-Realized Masters) are not common knowledge among people, but they do exist. I am lucky to be privy to their existence.
Is there any special meaning/lesson/message you want readers to get from your book?
Definitely! I am showing people a glimpse of what humans are capable of doing if they develop themselves spiritually.
Ascended Masters and Lightworkers are role models we can all aspire to. I promote love and respect, the code of Ahimsa which is the way of non-violence, protection of animals, and I even give ideas about vegetarian meals. You can read my books as entertainment and think of them as fantasy paranormal books or you can look deeper and learn a lot. The choice is yours.
Which character do you relate to the most?
I relate the most to the two moms. Grace and Estelle.
Grace is Jayna’s mother and Estelle is Ethan’s. They are devoted to their families, have varying degrees of psychic abilities, but they are not nearly as advanced as their offspring in Astral matters.
Are any of the characters based on real people you know?
Yes, there is definitely a Divine Mother in India who is the sister of Babaji. Both siblings are very evolved spiritual beings, and very very old.
I read that apart from your interest in Astral Travel you are also a yoga enthusiast. When did you start yoga? Why?
I started Yoga many years ago, but it was Iyengar style Hatha yoga. I discovered Kriyayoga seven years ago and it changed my life. I was always looking for that one nameless thing that would fill a void in my life and didn’t know what it was. When I found out about Kriyayoga I immediately knew that that was what I was searching for and a lot of things fell into place for me.
Tell us more about being an animal activist. Why animals? Why not anything else? the environment
for example.
Oh, I definitely support environmental causes and human rights also, but animals have a special place in my heart. I support many organizations that are trying to change the world for better, put an end to child labour or slavery, call it whatever you prefer; human trafficking, fight against drugs, etc. I spend a good deal of time signing petitions and making donations every day. I am not an affluent person, but I do what I can in terms of financial aid. I think that God created the Earth, put oceans, plants and animals on it then populated it with people to give us the perfect place to learn and evolve ourselves
. The year 1700 A.D. marked the beginning of an ascending doper, an age of enlightenment. Although we have a long ways to reach enlightenment as a collective human race, my humble opinion is that animals are there to teach us compassion and help us towards enlightenment. If you see a stray dog, will you walk away or stop and make a call to the Humane Society? When the Humane Society sends you an urgent message because there was a
flood somewhere in the world and animals need your help, will you delete that message or donate what you can? In this age of instant and mass communication, there is a lot that we can do to end the suffering of
both people and animals. At the end of the day, people have language and can express their suffering and cry
for help. Animals don’t. We have to take up the fight for them, love them and protect them. That is what
makes us human beings. If you want to evolve and ascend as a human, go and help someone and while you are at it, don’t forget about the animals
How does being a (foster)parent affect your writing.
I cannot talk about my fostering too much as I have signed a confidentiality agreement, but I can assure you that fostering has opened my eyes to a lot of human suffering that is going on right here in our own community. I come from a very tightknit and compassionate family, so I could never have imagined the kinds of violence that takes place in other families.
The children need our protection when their own families cannot provide it for them; my family and I are there to do exactly that. We provide a safe and loving environment to the children when they need it.
As a person, fostering made me develop by leaps and bounds. I am sure that is reflected in my writing.
Do your interests in yoga, animal activism and your Economics degree affect/influence your writing?
How?
Most certainly all of those things you mentioned affect and influence my writing. I am the sum of everything
that I learned and experienced.
Without my yoga there wouldn’t be all the rich characters in my books. As I
mentioned earlier, there really is a Divine Mother. My passion for animals is also in my books, one of the characters is a marine biologist who goes and fights dolphin hunters. This is probably the right time to mention that the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan started once again and Ric O’Barry with other animal activists are there to observe, record and try to convince the Japanese government to put a stop to this tradition.
Dolphin meat is very dangerous for human consumption because of the very high levels of mercury in it. Many children were born with extreme retardation due to dolphin meat consumption by their mothers in and around that town. I hold a BA in Economics and a certificate in Human Resources. I still have plans to do a graduate degree, but that probably won’t happen for a few more years.
The character of Estelle in the Astral Ordinance is my super mom/business woman. I can get into Estelle’s head because of my training in Economics and Human Resources. I even outlined a business plan for a chain of vegetarian restaurants that Estelle started and handed over to her son, Ethan, the hero in our series. Their mission is to teach people to eat vegetarian one day a week. Most doctors recommend this, Ethan is opening up these restaurants to make it easy for people to follow doctors’ orders and eat vegetarian. I eat vegetarian seven days a week so I am in a good position to give people ideas how to do it. All of these are in my books.
What book are you currently reading?
Currently I am reading Amanda Hocking’s last installment of the Watersong series, Elegy
If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be? why?
I would like to have dinner with the Divine Mother, but then again I am not sure that she eats. We might just end up meditating together. She is one of the most enlightened souls left on Earth.
Random
Fave Season of the year - Summer
Fave Dessert - Baklava
Fave yoga pose – Listening to the internal sound while gazing at the infinite
Fave food – Grilled veggies
Fave book written by another author – The Autobiography of a Yogi
Random Fact – Olive leaves, Sage and Lavender ward off evil, not garlic.
The Author
A university graduate in Economics, this mother of three and foster mother of 25 has been drawn to the world of paranormal since childhood. A devoted reader herself, Meltem Y.K has always had the aspiration to create her own brand of fantasy.
While working full-time and raising a family, into the late hours of the night, Meltem Y.K dreamed the fantasies that only she could and created a story that's grown into the Astral Ordinance series.
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L.L. Collins is a 30-something teacher from Florida. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Her love of writing found a home in the self publishing world in 2013. Her debut novel, a contemporary romance called Living Again, released as an eBook and paperback on October 4, 2013.
She has been writing since she was old enough to write. Always a story in her head, she finally decided to let the characters out and start writing.
Tell us a little about yourself
Hi! I’m Juliana, NA author and all around nice girl. I laugh easily, but I’m also very irritable – you don’t want to be on my pissed off side ;)
I’m a lover of books, video games (World of Warcraft ftw!), chocolate, coffee, wine, jeans, high heels, family and friends – not necessarily in this order.
You write in multiple NA genres. Which is your favorite write? Why?
Why do you focus on NA. I started writing NA way before it had a name – eight years ago or so.
It was quite hard because agents and editors didn’t want NA.
My fave genre? I guess it depends on my mood.
When I’m deep into contemporary, I’m craving fantasy, when I’m deep into fantasy, I want to write contemporary.
Tell us something about yourself that's not in your author bio.
I met my husband when I was 17 (he was 22) – we started dating right away and we got married when I was 20. And I became a mommy at 24.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Toughest criticism = that I had to work on my narrator inner dialogue.
Best compliment = “Your voice is so rich, and your worldbuilding absolutely lush. I enjoyed the tension and the stakes in play here”
– it came from a known traditional author and it was about the short story I have on Wattpad.
If you could have dinner with anyone- fictional or real, past or present, dead or alive- who would you pick? Why?
This is a hard one.
Fictional, Zuko from The Last Airbender. Or Korra from Legend of Korra – love these two TV shows.
You will be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 items.
Another hard one, jeez!
My toothbrush + tooth paste (that’s combo so it counts as one), my kindle, which would be loaded with great books (and it’s charger), and a warm blanket.
Have you always aspired to publish a novel? Which writers inspire/influence you?
Not really. I’ve been writing since I was 13, but I only thought about trying to get published when I was 26-27.
I love Richelle Mead – her prose is simple and yet, it involves you. She creates rich worlds and fun characters. I like to think her writing influences mine ;)
Which actors/actresses would you like to see playing Hannah, Eric & Leo in Breaking The Reins?
Bah, I don’t know. I try not to think about it much.
One reviewer posted pics for Hannah and Leo on goodreads and I love it – she chose Krystal Reed as Hannah, but I don’t know who the guy is. Want to help me find out? Click here.
But honestly, Leo and his family would have to be Brazilian – maybe Marlon Teixeira or Pedro Arnon as Leo ;)
If you could be on one reality TV show, what would it be?
This is (was?) sort of a secret: my biggest dream is to be one of the celebs on Dancing with the Stars. But first I need to become a celebrity right? lol
Tell us about NA Alley
In the end of 2011, I met Victoria, Jaycee and Carrie online – they wrote NA, like I did, so we bonded over it immediately. Then around Jan/Feb 2012, I was thinking about contacting them and pop a question like what do you guys think of creating a group blog dedicated to NA?
However, Victoria beat me to it. She had already talked to Jaycee and they sent out the email inviting the rest of us.
NA Alley is a fun place where we try to inform and promote New Adult as a category.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully I’ll have moved back to the Carolinas, I’ll have published a dozen novels, and I’ll be making a good living out of it.
My hubs will still like the challenge of his line of work, and my daughter will be too big for me to even imagine.
I don’t envision getting filthy rich or hitting the NYT Bestseller list or
things like that. As long as my books find a couple of readers and they like what they read, I’m happy!
The craziest/wildest thing you ever did.
Moved out of my parents’ house in a small town when I was 16 to live alone in a city of 1.5 million people? In Brazil, education is very different than here. The good schools are in the big cities and, to be accepted into college, you have to get a good education, so I moved out to finish high school in a better school.
Or, spent two months on Rio de Janeiro alone when I was 12 – I participated of a ballet workshop with the best dance company of the country.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most? Are any of them based on people you know?
Mirella from Gypsy Heart. I need to rewrite that manuscript and publish it because I love that story, but I wrote it back in 2010 (or 2009?). My writing improved so much since then, and I had a couple of ideas to make it better …
Mirella has a lot of me on her.
I try not basing my characters on any people I know, though I’m sure some relate to the people in my life.
Are you going to write a continuation for Breaking The Reins? I'd like to see what happens to the rest of the gang.
It is a possibility – I’ve been getting lots of requests. I know Bia’s story and I have an idea for Hilary’s, but I know readers want to see Ri, Pedro and Gui too, so I’ll have to think (aka plot) for them too.
What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you were good at?
Singing. I would love, love, love to sing.
Do events in your life influence your book/Are your life experiences included in your books?
No, not so far. I do have a notebook with major events and past experiences written down, so I can look over them and try to plot a story around them, but so far it didn’t happen.
What is the best book you’ve read recently?
I was working on a UF the last 2 months, so I’ve been reading a lot of UF and PNR. The ones I liked the most are The Archers of Avalon series by Chelsea Fine, and the Crescent Chronicles by Alyssa Rose Ivy.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Do not give up! Simple like that ;)
What’s next for you? Any works in the making that you want us to know about?
I’m working on edits of Soul Oath and Cup of Life (both UF), and soon will finish writing Playing Pretend, a contemporary romance
Random
Vanilla or chocolate - chocolate
Fave Season of the year - fall
Fave Dessert – hmm, Cookie Cookie Sundae from ColdStone
Fave Name – Isadora (my daughter’s)
Fave Book you wrote – Breaking the Reins
Favorite word - LOVE
Weirdest food combo – none.
Random Fact – I went to Architecture School
The Author
Juliana Haygert is a New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.
While Juliana dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author.
Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
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Read my review of "Breaking The Reins" here
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About The Author
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The Book
Synopsis
Ben is a research scientist. He finds the cure for genetic disease in a serum called NEMREC. He celebrates with his best friend Mark and returns home to his wife Hannah.
When he returns to his laboratory he finds that his research and his staff have disappeared. When he tries to leave the laboratory somebody tries to shoot him. He flees, and he manages to escape. But when he tries to contact his wife she cannot be reached. He has to work out who he can trust in an attempt to find his wife and his son Matthew, all the while dodging mysterious agents who seem to want him dead. He has lost his wife, his son, and the chance to save his son’s life with his genetic research.
Identity X is the story of his fight to take these things back.
Excerpt
BEN HAD NEVER BEEN TO Seventy Fourth Street before, or the park behind it. He had heard of it because he knew that from this road led another small road, a dead end that led to nowhere. At the far end of the road sat a regal building which had been standing for over two hundred years. Its beauty was celebrated, especially at night when the rows of purple blooming Paulownias were illuminated and romanticised by the delicate light of the ancient street lamps. The building once stood as a palatial home of a local aristocrat, who alongside his own home had built a series of coach houses where his servants lived. These coach houses lined a small road that arose from Seventy Fourth Street and now did nothing more than guild the walkway to the square and hide its beauty away from the rest of the city like a beautiful but veiled face, there but unseen. This place of beauty had been left to its own devices, and much like love, after a period without care, attention, or somebody to nurture it, became less than precious and eventually forgotten until it was past the point of recovery. History would regale how this road was purpose built to carry horse drawn coaches many years before the advent of the car, but which now carried only feet towards a crumbling backdrop of long lost decadence. He didn’t much care for being here, and couldn’t for the life of him think why Ami would arrange to meet him in this place. The thought that this dead end could in fact be a trap rose poisonously in his mind like air pockets escaping from a stagnant quagmire, inserting doubt upon pre-existing doubt, cairns set to lead him in the wrong direction. He acknowledged this brief moment of hesitation, but found himself accepting the fact that he had no other option, and so despite his fears steeled himself for the moments ahead.
He turned from Seventy Fourth Street and into the narrow lane. Above him were rows of poorly constructed coach houses, abandoned and no longer in use. Newspapers dating from over twenty years ago had been pasted to the windows in several layers, the deepest of which were peeling and yellow from the heat of the sun and ground with dust and grime. Before him stood the beautiful regal building, decorated with ornate iron balustrades covering the base of the long oversized windows. Underneath the Paulownias there were a series of benches that sat empty and looked rickety and partly rotten. As he approached, he saw that the park opened out to the left and to the right forming a T shape with the narrow lane that led up to it. On his first look he couldn’t see anybody. He was stood beneath the trees, heavily laden with buds that looked set to burst into bloom as the temperature would surely rise next month, coaxing them out. There was no wind here, and it felt immediately warmer surrounded by the height of the buildings proudly standing tall, unashamed of their atrophy and disrepair. He was suddenly hit by an overwhelming desire to bring Hannah here, and to sit with her on the benches beneath the blossoming trees. In his vision they wouldn’t speak, only sit together, needing nothing more than each other’s company and the sight of Matthew playing at their feet. In his visions Matthew remained an eternal toddler, short of words and rich in love and awe for his father. It was only as he saw Matthew in his mind’s eye today, that he realised his reflections were always from the past, every vision born of a time before Bionics.
He was snatched back into reality as he heard Ami whisper his name. As he turned to the direction of the voice he saw her stood in the corner of the square. She was tucked into the shadow of the great building, and she motioned for him to sit. He sat as instructed onto the bench which was facing away from her, but he turned and gripped the panels of brittle and splintered wood in anticipation of her approach, his eyes never once leaving her face.
Ami waited hesitantly for a moment, seconds ticking by at a pace which felt as if time had become stationary, until she eventually took her first steps towards him. He could see her indecision in her cautious steps and in the way that her eyes darted left and right, occasionally looking back over her shoulder. For a moment Ben was sure that he had seen a man dart back into the shadows of the building behind Ami, but as she approached he soon found himself completely focussed on her presence, remembering why he was here and forgetting anything else. Just before she sat down next to him she took a deep and fortifying breath, and he wondered why it was that she looked so fitful and apprehensive. He followed her with his eyes, and as she sat he turned to face her. His leg and arm muscles were braced and ready to run like a watched gazelle in the African bush, aware he was being watched but still anxiously waiting, fearful that any quick and sudden departure could render him vulnerable and exposed.
Her long casual hair that he had admired on so many occasions was wrapped neatly into a bun behind her head, and she was wearing a long Macintosh that swung freely and draped open as she sat. For the first time that he could remember she was wearing trousers. She appeared different from his memory, beautiful still, but rather than the softly painted vision that he kept close in his mind, it was a harder edged reality in which she appeared sharply focused and dangerous.
“Ben, there isn’t much time. You have to listen to me carefully.”
“Hang on Ami.” This was his first chance to try to find out what the hell was going on, and if there wasn’t much time he sure as hell wasn’t going to hand it straight over to her. “Before you start, I need to ask you something.”
“No Ben. You need to listen.” This woman looked like Ami, but for the first time he could detect a slight accent in her voice. It reminded him of Mr. Saad, the man who was trying to fund his continued research programme. This was the first time she had demanded anything.
“No, no. Ami wait. Listen. I have to ask you some things.”
“There will be a time for your questions but it isn’t now. At the moment your questions will get us both killed.” He didn’t interrupt her again and he sat with his arms obediently dropped into his lap, his muscles limp and helpless, sun melted candles, leaves starved of water. “Ben, everything that has happened to you over the last few hours was not supposed to happen. It should already be over. We are only lucky that it is not.” Ben’s mouth dropped open in shock. Lucky? He didn’t feel too damn lucky. “You should already be dead.”
“I know that. Somebody tried to shoot me at the lab.”
“I’m not referring to the lab. You were never supposed to wake up today. They started it much quicker than I anticipated. If I had known I would have found a way to tell you at the bar.”
“What bar? What did they start? Anyway, who arethey?” Ami wasn’t making much sense to him. “Is this about Mark?”
“Ben, who do you think you work for?”
“Bionics.”
“You work for the government. Bionics is just the public face of the Office of Scientific Weaponry Development. OSWED.”
“The government?”
“Yes, but not the one you see on the television, or in the newspaper. It’s the same one, but it’s the side of it that nobody knows about.”
“Ami there is only one government.”
“That’s what I just said. There is the government that you see, the one that stands up and leads the country with clean hands, the one that can deny that certain things ever happened because they don’t even know about it. They are public puppets. They are the ones that don’t have to lie. Then there are the rest of us. The people that nobody knows about. The people that do what you might call dirty work.”
“Ami, you’re a scientist.”
“Correct. But I don’t work for you. I work for OSWED. They are supposed to be the people that keep you safe. It’s supposed to be about intelligence and development. They believe it is what makes your Great Country so great.” Ben could hear a certain level of sarcasm coming through in her newly accented voice. “We work outside of standard military intelligence. We don’t exist, at least as far as the rest of the world knows. That counts for the rest of the staff at Bionics.”
“You’re telling me that I work for a secret government agency, and that all of the staff I work with knew nothing about it except for you? What have you done with them? What happened to my research?”
“NO. Start paying attention Ben. You’re the only one that doesn’t know anything about it. Why do you think the lab and all of the staff have disappeared? The mission was complete. Your theory had been proven and NEMREC worked.” She could detect the surprise on his face, the inability to understand as his mouth hung limply open. She wished that she could spare him the details, but she had to be honest. If ever there was a time it was now. “You were already supposed to be dead.”
“What the hell!”
“They knew how good you were. They targeted you. They knew you would succeed so they started to control everything about you. They wanted your brilliance in the palm of their hand, and they did everything they could to get it. Your friends, your wife, your whole life. It’s a set up Ben. It was all about getting NEMREC. You did it. They don’t need you anymore.”
“You’re saying my whole life is a set up? That’s bullshit Ami!” He was up and off the bench now, arms flailing like compliant branches in the wind without any control over their own movement. Who the hell does she think she is? Mark? Hannah? Matthew? She had to be lying.
“It’s not bullshit. It’s the truth. It’s the first truthful thing you have heard in years. You discovered how to change people’s DNA Ben. You know what they can do with that kind of knowledge.” She was up on her feet now too, trying to make contact with him and reaching out for his arms as he span around, propelled by the inertia of disbelief.
“I’m trying to cure disease, Ami not make weapons for your government.”
“Your government, Ben. You might not be trying to make weapons but OSWED are. They want the ability to change DNA to build a stronger army. An elite force. They don’t want to manufacture pharmaceuticals to cure Huntington’s disease like you do. They want to make a stronger army and build weapons. They want people to be their weapons, and you have given them everything they need.”
“And you?” He was stood still staring straight at her. “Why are you helping me if you work for them?” She sat down onto the bench, her head bowed. For a moment he thought he could see tears forming in her dark almond eyes.
“I want what you want, Ben.” She turned her head up to look at him, and her eyes looked swollen and set to burst. “My father is dying. So am I. I want a chance to live to grow old.” The pain in her face, in her blurry eyes and crumpled brow was a feeling that he recognised. He understood the feelings that she described, and he felt them every day in every one of his mutated cells. Her words could have been his own, his own feelings, his own hopes, his own aspirations. Any fears he had, any caution for the woman before him had passed. He saw his own reflection in her glassy eyes as he contemplated her sadness and regret. It softened him and he sensed the need for truth and trust, believing in the freedom and strength that it offered.
“Ami, why am I not dead already?”
“I don’t know. You should be. What she gave you should have been enough to kill you?”
“What who gave me?” He saw that same sense of pity on her face, as she wiped away a tear from her cheek. He traced his thoughts back to when he passed out on his settee, how he assumed he had merely been drunk, and how he had been dragged up the stairs, and how he had slept for thirty six hours, and how he had been sick, and how it was still there the next morning, and the next morning, and how Hannah hadn’t been home. Suddenly he had visions of her as a spy carrying a gun and speaking in Russian on a foreign mission and seducing people to steal data chips, right before he reminded himself that the explanation that he had conjured up seemed utterly ridiculous. Yet still he said it. “You think Hannah tried to kill me?”
“No Ben. I know she tried to kill you. She poured you champagne, it was drugged. That’s why you feel so awful now.” She sat down on the bench, steadying herself, and attempting also to steady Ben, hoping that their current connection was enough to pull him towards her. Skin on skin, a real connection. She knew they had felt it before, and she hoped he felt it now.
“I threw up.” He thought back to the pile of sick on the floor and couldn’t remember ever being so pleased that he had been ill. He tried again to remind himself of the absurdity of her accusations, but found that the more time that passed and the more he listened to himself, the dismissal of her theory didn’t seem quite so easy.
“Then that’s why you’re still here.”
“Ami. What do they want from me?”
“They want you dead, Ben. It’s their only aim. To them,” she paused apologetically before she finished her sentence, “you already are. There is no record of your life anymore. It’s not like you died, it’s like you never existed.”
“Ami, will you help me?” She nodded reassuringly. After everything that had happened this morning he had only one other question. “Ami, where have they taken my son?”
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| Extaordinary Blog Tour | |
|---|---|
| Michelle Muckley | |
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| Starts in:- | |
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife.
A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. David is a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table.
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Hello! *waves* I’m extremely excited to be here today, and I want to thank Lade for having me on this awesome blog! The topic I was given is 10 Things My Readers Probably Don’t Know About Me! I will try to keep my responses as absurd and as entertaining as possible
Hammocks!
Must I say more? Hammocks are a slight obsession of mine. I see one and I’m drawn to it like a dog to an interesting odor. All I want to do is settle down into its soft, swinging comfort for just a moment or two and then…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Don’t believe me? Ask my wife, Adele. When Adele and I were in Mexico last year, we visited a beautiful cenote, which is a freshwater, mostly underground pond/river sort of thing. SOOO beautiful! Sparkling, clear, turquoise water, incredible rock formations, snorkeling, little fishies that nibble the dry skin off your feet for free (not like those $100 day spas), and— Oh wait! Is that a hammock? *Runs off leaving Adele still snapping photos* Yeah, I saw a hammock at that cenote, and while Adele enjoyed the beautiful water, I napped in comfort and style. In fact, my Goodreads author profile photo is of me in that very hammock, only you can just see my face. Adele snapped the shot just as I opened my eyes from my nap.
My love/hate relationship with cats!
OK, there isn’t really any hate in the relationship. I love love LOVE cats! Especially kittens. They’re so cute and have unique and hilarious personalities. They like to play and sleep (both things I like to do, too).
And yet, my body HATES them. I have bad cat allergies. Adele is a cat lover,too. Everywhere we’ve gone on our two-year trip around the world (we’ve been travelling for 16 months), seems to have cats, and I always fall in love with them. Only problem is, then I have a runny nose and itchy eyes and hives…misery.
But I don’t think I’ll ever learn, so I just keep on keeping on, popping allergy pills like vitamins and hoping that one day I’ll outgrow my allergy.
I cried during Armageddon! And Titanic and Stepmom and a whole bunch of other emotional movies.
I’m not afraid to admit it: I’m a Sad Movie Cryer! Perhaps I shouldn’t be admitting it. Perhaps you’ll think less of me. Perhaps it’s a blight on my manhood. But I don’t care! I like sad movies and I like when my cheeks are stained with salt when they’re over. And oh my gosh, when Bruce Willis is talking to Liv Tyler on the screen just before he blows himself up to save the world…how could you not cry?!
Spelling Bee Champion!
Okay, okay, it’s not like I ended up on that National Spelling Bee competition they have on ESPN every year with the kids that whisper into their palms and ask for “language of origin, please”. But I did win a few at my elementary school! I pride myself on my spelling ability and hate when I’m defeated by spell check.
(Note: if you catch a spelling error in this post, blame my speedy and somewhat reckless typing, not my spelling.)
I should’ve been born in Canada!
In reality, I was born in El Paso, Texas, very close to the border of Mexico. Hot sands, scorched earth, cacti. And yet, after my family moved to Pittsburgh when I was very little, I became obsessed with hockey. I love all kinds of hockey, ice and roller and floor. I love watching as much as I love playing.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are my team of choice and it was such a thrill to watch them win the Stanley Cup just before I left the U.S. to move to Australia! So yes, I think I should have been born in Canada.
Shower acoustics!
I am such a good singer…in the shower. When the slight tingy echo takes my deep, narrow range and amplifies it, I almost consider trying out for American Idol. And then the moment I step out of that warm cubicle, it all falls apart. So I’ll keep singing in the shower daily, but you won’t see me at an open mic night anytime soon.
Young at heart! Although I’m 32 now, I seem to relate much better to kids than adults, which is perhaps why I write Young Adult and Children’s fiction. Whenever Adele and I visit family, I usually end up spending more time with their kids than with them. Imagination is an important part of my life, and I find kids are more receptive to me using it 24/7
Warm water/cold water!
I love warm water! Jacuzzis and hot tubs and bath tubs…ahhhh! I could sit in them all day with a good book, until I’m beyond the point of pruniness. While Adele is swimming laps in the pool, I’ll undoubtedly be in the hot tub.
Cold water? Brrrrrr! No thanks. I hate it with a passion. Even water that most people wouldn’t probably consider cold is freezing to me. So keep it above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, thank you very much. NOTE: if I am forced to swim in cold water, I prefer to jump right in and get it over with. A slow and steady walk into the water will only send me running back to my towel before it even gets to my knees.
Paper or plastic?
My first job was a bagger at a grocery store called Shop ’n Save. Me and my bagger friends prided ourselves on our ability to bag efficiently and with “like items” in the same bags. Nothing heavy near bread or eggs. Frozen items together. Don’t make the customer wait long after they’ve paid. But our favorite duty was cart patrol, collecting carts from the cart returns, stringing them together and pushing a mile-long train of carts back to the front without dinging up any cars in the parking lot. Now they use those machines that push the carts for them. Cheaters!
And my most feared announcement over the speaker system: “Clean up in Aisle 8!” Yeah, it was always the pasta sauce or pickles or eggs. Something smelly.
The dry author!
I’ve never, not once, had a sip of an alcoholic beverage. How I made it through four years at Penn State for college and three years working in Australia is a wonder. I’m not particularly religious, but it’s a lifestyle choice I made a long time ago, and I’m sticking with it. So though I may never experience a real hangover, I get book hangovers all the time, from staying up until the wee hours of the morning finishing a great book.
Whew! I felt like I was baring my soul! Okay, maybe that’s a bit melodramatic, but it was somewhat intense sharing all these random things about me. I hope you all enjoyed it and learned a few things about me you didn’t know before.
Thanks again to Lade for having me on this awesome blog!! I pledged when I started writing to always respond to readers, and love getting comments and questions, so please contact me using one of my favorite social networking sites above. And if you enjoy YA dystopian books like The Hunger Games or Divergent, check out my list of 14 published books below. As always, happy reading!!
Other YA Books by David Estes!
The Dwellers Saga
Book One—The Moon Dwellers
Book Two—The Star Dwellers
Book Three—The Sun Dwellers
Book Four—The Earth Dwellers
The Country Saga
Book One—Fire Country
Book Two—Ice Country
Book Three—Water and Storm
The Evolution Trilogy
Book One- Angel Evolution
Book Two- Demon Evolution
Book Three- Archangel Evolution
Children’s Books by David Estes
The Nikki Powergloves Adventures
Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born
Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council
Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers
Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure
Nikki Powergloves vs. the Power Outlaws (Coming soon!)
He is giving away one ecopy each of:
The Moon Dwellers [Book 1 in The Dwellers] and
The Fire Country [Book 1 in The Country Saga]
Enter Giveaway here
Day 3 and our second author interview.
We have Diamond Drake, author of Imagined Love
Willa Caldwell jumps in and out of her volatile and sometimes violent marriage seemingly unaware of the affects her actions have on daughter Jade. Lonely and insecure, Jade often falls prey to those eager to take advantage of her desperate need for love and acceptance. And both she and Willa endure heartache at the hands of those who claim to love them most.
As a young adult Jade decides toleave her hometown of Gary, IN, as well as the pain of her past to start anew in sunny California. Sadly, things don't go ashoped and she's left wondering if she'll ever experience real love or if it will always be... Imagined Love.
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My Review
Tell us about yourself
I'm Diamond Drake, the author of three chick-lit novels; Imagined Love, For the Love of Jade (sequel), and Love's Fool. I was born and raised in Gary, IN but I now reside in northern California with my husband of seventeen years, two teenaged daughters, and two dogs.
One thing about you that's not in your bio
Diamond Drake is my pen name.
Have you always aspired to publish a novel? Which writers inspire/influence you?
Yes, I've ALWAYS wanted to publish novels! In the first grade I vowed to my granny that I would do it and I talked about it every day!
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism I ever received came from one of my editors. She basically told me I "talk" too much and needed to learn how to get to the point.
The best compliment came from a group of readers who told me they changed their lives because of something one of my characters did. I still cry when I think about that.
If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be? Why?
If I could have dinner with anyone it would probably be Nicholas Sparks. I'd love to know the secret to having so many of his novels made into major movies. That has to be an amazing feeling!
What book(s) are you reading at present?
I'm currently reading Football Widows by Pat Tucker and my own novel, Love's Fool. I'm gearing up to write the sequel and need to get re-acquainted with the characters.
For the Love of Jade won the 2013 International Book Award Winner for the African American category? How was that experience for you?
Winning the 2013 International Book Award has been a great experience. It's validating in a lot of ways. And I find that readers respond differently to me as well. They're more willing to give my work a chance.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
I think the cover plays a huge role in whether a reader will buy your book or not. As much we say don't judge a book by its cover, we often do.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most? Are any of them based on people you know?
The character I relate to most is definitely Jade from Imagined Love. That book was heavily based on my own life so I have a special connection with her.
What’s next for you? Any works in the making that readers should know about?
Currently, I'm working on my fourth and fifth novesl. One is the sequel to my last book and the other, Love's Choice, will introduce readers to a whole new cast of crazy characters! I love Dwight and Robin Haughton! haha
Random
Favorite season - fall.
Favorite dessert - cake!
Favorite book by another author - The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Favorite book that I wrote - Hmmm ... that's hard to answer. I love them all for different reasons.
Random fact - Let's see... oh, I'm absolutely terrified of opening a can of biscuits! I hate when it pops so I have my husband or daughter do it for me!
Author
Diamond Drake, the author of For the Love of Jade, is known for her emotionally gripping tales. Born and raised in Gary, IN, she currently resides in Stockton, CA with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
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Enter giveaway here
The Book
Something Furry Underfoot is a funny, touching book about pets that Amy's husband brought home and how Amy ended up helping care for, and falling for, most of them. In addition to frogs, iguanas, dogs, a stray cat, rabbits, and lots of hamsters, you will meet a male hedgehog that escaped three times to mate with a female hedgehog, a ferret that cost $1,200 in vet bills and a domestic duck.
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When did you become interested in books. Reading & Writing?
I have two fond memories from my childhood about books: my Grandmother Peterson reading me the stories of Br’er Rabbit in her southern accent in a way that made the characters seem alive, and my father making up stories before tucking me and my two siblings to bed. Both of those stuck with me, and somewhere along the line, I thought it’d be so cool to be able to tell fun, memorable stories. When it came to writing, I enjoyed every writing assignment in school and college, entered a few essay contests now and again, but didn’t really make time to write seriously until I married a guy with four kids and realized I might have an interesting story to tell. That
was the basis of my first book, From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds, a humorous, touching memoir about becoming a stepmom. At the same time I was figuring out my role as a stepmom, my husband, Mark, kept bringing pets into our home, and that is the basis for my new book and second humorous, touching memoir, Something Furry Underfoot.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start writing your memoirs?
I wrote From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds after I realized I had experienced something that might help other people.
The kids were 3, 5, 13 and 15 at the time I met them, so I experienced the innocence and bend-ability of young kids, with a lovely double-dose of teenager. I hadn’t a clue what I was doing most of the time I was figuring out my role as a stepmom, which makes the book a fun read.
My original intent in writing Something Furry Underfoot was simply to document the various animals we’d raised, but as I wrote down the details of each animal, it became more and more obvious how different each animal was. For example, one of the hamsters Mark wanted turned out to be pregnant. We kept all eight babies and every one of them was different in what they liked and didn’t like—some liked to run on their wheels more than in a hamster ball; some liked certain foods over others; some tolerated being petted, some did not. As with every pet, I enjoyed trying to figure out what made each one tick.
How do you decide what to share and what not to share?
That’s a great question. Part of the difficulty with a book like this is that pets die and I didn’t want to gloss over that or pretend it didn’t happen, AND I didn’t want to dwell on the sadness and make the book a real
downer. So I tried to share that each pets’ passing was a bummer to me without sharing the play-by-play except for a couple of the pets. Other details were left out to add to the humor.
For example, while I describe how the ferrets ran in and out of the cupboards, I left out the fact that we actually rinsed and cleaned the pots and pans the ferrets ran in and out of, to add to the humor.
You have written 4 children picture books (about some of your pets) and one self help book for new stepmothers. Why a memoir about living with pets?
The four children’s picture books are short, rhyming books that kids can read to see what having a certain pet—a dog, a cat, a ferret, or a domestic duck—is like. The books are: Dusty, the Angel Pup; Purrkins, the Cat; Goodnight, Big Wuzzy; and Bumpkin Gets Big. Each ends with a message for parents to consider before taking on each of the pet, and each one is written from the animals’ perspective to better share what they need, like and dislike.
Something Furry Underfoot is a memoir with details about those four pets, plus many, many more pets. The book also includes tips, making it a bit of a primer for pet care, too. Some proceeds from all of my animal books will support animal rescue organizations.
What's a typical day in your life like?
I need to do a blog posting about that, because it’s quite complicated.
Lately, it starts between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. when one of our two puppies, Winston and Snickers, decides it’s time to go outside.
Because my husband is retired, he’s the one that lets the pups out while I try to go back to sleep, sometimes
successfully, sometimes not. I usually get up around 6 a.m. and am greeted by the two pups and a middle-aged cat, Purrkins, who is less than thrilled with two crazed pups in the house. After I shower, Purrkins gets fresh water out of the bathroom sink while I the pups try to run off with my towel. I get dressed, feed Purrkins three different types of food, put the humming bird feeder outside, fill several bird feeders outside and make a pile of seeds for the chipmunks, squirrels and our new friend, a groundhog. After topping off thistle feeders, replacing empty suet blocks and ensuring the birds have water, I’m off to work.
At 4:30, I am greeted by two rowdy pups, Purrkins and Mark. After saying hello to each, I feed Purrkins and let the puppies out and back in again.
After a two-mile run, I help with dinner, clean up and sit down for sporadic bits of work at the computer.
I get very little focused time because over the rest of the evening we make time to train the pups and play with them; take pups in and out a half dozen times; retrieve items that walk by in the mouths of pups that aren’t appropriate (a shoe, a paperback book, a card game) and replace them with something else; empty the kitty litter pan; feed the hamsters; put the younger hamsters in hamster exercise balls; feed and play with the mynah birds; return hamsters to their cages; make sure hamsters have water to drink; make sure mynah birds have deonized water to drinkand bathe in; bring in the hummingbird feeder so the raccoons don’t slurp down the sugary water; check a couple of live traps in the basement because we’ve had a mouse and shrew problem in the past; and feed fish in three fish tanks. We go to bed wondering what time in the morning Snickers will whine to be let outside to start the day tomorrow.
How did your love of animals come about? Your husband?
I’ve always loved animals. I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau and Wild Kingdom and loved every critter underwater and on land that I saw on TV.
I spent a lot of time outdoors romping around as a kid and had dogs from about the age of 12 on up. One of the things that attracted me to Mark was his love of animals. I just had no idea he’d want to bring so many different kinds of animals into our house!
You are also a photographer. What created your interest in this field?
My Grandfather Peterson was an amateur photographer and he once spent most of a day near a particular building waiting around for the best light of the day to create a photograph he had envisioned. I have a great appreciation for photography because of the time it can take to get a still photo, and for those once-in-a-lifetime wildlife photos that people get when they make the time, have the luck, and get that shot nobody else has taken.
What book(s) are you currently reading?
I tend to read whatever Mark has in the house, which right now is a series of books on the Civil War by Michael Shaarah and Jeff Shaarah. These are excellent books because they get into the thoughts/mind of some of the prominent soldiers in the Civil War.
You will be stranded on a deserted island and. Bring 3 items.
My husband and my two puppies?
If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be? Why?
If I could invite one person to dinner, I’d want to invite someone who makes me laugh, likes pets and is well connected so they can help me sell books. The first person that comes to mind is Ellen DeGeneres.
After a light-hearted dinner, I’d try to persuade her to buy some copies of my book to give to the people in her audience on her next show. And maybe she’d invite me to be on her show so I can tout my book and share my new YouTube video about Bumpkin, the duck.
You can see my Bumpkin video on my website, by clicking on Videos.
Random
Fave Season of the year: Fall. No, spring. No, fall. No, spring.
Fave Dessert: Chocolate mousse.
Fave Book you wrote: Something Fury Underfoot
Fave book written by another author: Erma Bombeck.
Random Fact: I love fishing, especially if fishing takes me to another country. And most especially if I catch a bigger fish, or more fish, than Mark.
The Author
The Giveaway is now open.
How to enter:
It's two easy steps
1. You have to be subscribed to this blog. [In anyway e.g. Bloglovin, email subscription, NetworkedBlogs etc]
Or follow on Twitter or Like on Facebook or Google Plus
2. Comment on this post with your name, form of contact and country of residence.
[For example
1. Jane Doe
janedoe@email.com
France
2. John
@John_ (twitter)
Nigeria]
Please share about this giveaway to social media sites. Thanks
Read about the giveaway here
View the schedule and books that are being given away here
Giveaway ends on the 30th of October
There will be 5 winners
Winners will be chosen by a random number generator
Winners will be announced on the 31st of October
Winners have to acknowledge their status wiithin 3 days of the announcement or they forfeit their prize(s)
There are still a lot of opening and if you'd like to be a part of this, leave a comment at the bottom of the post or send me an email/fill the contact form to the left with the title "Giveaway and Feature Special".
Below is the schedule.
October 1
Blog Tour: Something Furry Underfoot by Amy L Peterson [Giveaway & Author Interview]
October 2
Blogger/Reviewer Interview: Katie @ The Quiet Girl Talks
October 3
Interview: Diamomd Drake, Author of Imagined Love
October 4
Guest Post: David Estes, Author of Fire Country: 10 Things My Readers Probably Don't Know About Me [+ Giveaway]
October 5
Blog Tour: Identity X by Michelle Muckley [Excerpt and Giveaway]
October 6
Interview: Juliana Haygert, Author of Breaking The Reins + Giveaway
October 7
October 8
October 9
October 10
Who is Alice Munro
October 11
Blog Tour: Living Again by L.L. Collins [Excerpt & Giveaway]
October 12
October 13
October 14
Blog Tour: Astral Ordinance Book 2 by Meltem Y.K. [Author Interview & Giveaway]
October 15
October 16
October 17
Blog Tour: In the Beginning by Abby L Vandiver [Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway]
October 18
October 19
Interview: Kaitlin @ Reading is My Treasure
October 20
Blog Tour: From Rum To Roots by Lloyd G. Francis [Review & Giveaway]
October 21
October 22
Review: Goodbye Nothing by Beck Sherman
October 23
Interview: Brianna @ Listful Bookings
October 24
Excerpt: The Kota Warriors by Sunshine Somerville
October 25
October 26
Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Fast Forward by Marion Croslydon
October 27
Blogger Interview: Charli @ To Another World
October 28
October 29
Blog Tour: When The World Ends by J.J. Marshall [Promo]
October 30
October 31
And The Winners Are
Books For Giveaway
*one ebook copy of each except stated otherwise*
Astral Ordinance 2 by Meltem Y.K.
Something Furry Underfoot by Amy L Peterson
Rum To Roots by Lloyd G. Francis
External Forces by Deborah Rix[Paperback]
Love Carry My Bags by C.R. Everett
Buchanan's Redemption by Alex Andria
Living Again by L.L. Collins
Imagined Love by Diamond Drake
For the Love of Jade by Diamond Drake
Love's Fool by Diamond Drake
Breaking The Reins by Juliana Haygert
Identity X by Michelle Muckley[1 Paperback & 6 ebooks
The Moon Dwellers by David Estes
Fire Country by David Estes
Go here to enter the giveaway
