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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Summerlypse by Gerardo Delgadillo @Gero_Delgadillo @yaboundtourspr



Summerlypse
Genre: YA Contemporary (adventure/romance)
Release date: June 20th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

After his crush rejects him, seventeen-year-old Colton catches a plane to Mexico, hoping to forget all about girls. But a night out at a dance club crowded with long legs in miniskirts doesn't help, especially when he meets the club's beautiful DJ, Alex.

In awe of her mixing skills, Colton finds it hard to believe Alex is deaf. As they bond, she asks him to help her win a DJ contest behind her rich, estranged father's back.


Colton's not a wimp or anything, but millionaires with armed bodyguards are not his ideal vacation buddies. The only problem—if he helps her, he may fly back home in a body bag.


(ON SALE FOR $0.99 FROM AUGUST 8-14!)

Buy Links:


ADVANCED PRAISE

“Packed with unexpected twists and South-of-the-Border danger, Summerlypse grabbed my attention from the first enticing page. With a quirky writing style that offers both depth and entertainment, Summerlypse is an original, diverse story that will delight anyone looking for a unique spin on teen relationships.” –Anna L. Davis, Author of Open Source(Enhancement Series)

"SUMMERLYPSE by Gerardo Delgadillo is a great young adult story about two unlikely friends who team up hoping to win a summer DJ contest in Mexico. This book has a well-defined cast of complex characters with a thoughtful focus on the hearing-impaired. An entertaining read!" ~ K.S. Jones, award-winning author of Shadow of the Hawk


"SUMMERLYPSE is a great read.  The characters are real and well crafted, and the story kept me interested to the end.  I liked it. I recommend it." -- Rickard B DeMille, author ofTweet Revenge, Hellfire, Defending Daniel






Guest Post:

Writing About Mexico



Since I grew up Mexico, I have a vast knowledge of its culture and customs. And as an author, I want to use this knowledge to show my readers the non-vacation-destination Mexico, which is fascinating, different, and even a bit dangerous. As Martin, the SUMMERLYPSE protagonist's best friend, says, “I know what wrong places to go at the right times.”

The locations described in SUMMERLYPSE are fictitious, a combination of cities and towns mixed together and shaken, not stirred. They reflect the common Mexican city, small town, or beach town. I want to transport the reader to these places and make them smell the streets. Tacos, deep fried quesadillas, car fumes—the whole enchilada, pun intended.

In my novels, I show day-to-day situations Mexican people consider normal. For example, the “retenes,” which are military checkpoints looking for drugs or guns. Or where and what people eat—Mexican food is so good, it's worth a “Moctezuma's revenge.” I also want to show the poverty in the streets. Kids begging for money, selling bubble gum, or even asking for a Xmas gift in summer.

My hopes are to achieve this and more.




About the Author
Gerardo Delgadillo lives in the Dallas metropolitan area with his wife and children and dogs and cats and the occasional rabbit. Originally from San Francisco and raised in Mexico, he loves to write about contemporary teens in distress in English and Español. So no magic, dragons, or unicorns.

Gerardo's fun facts:
- At the tender age of sixteen, when giant lizards ruled the world, Gerardo was a DJ--turntables and all.
- Cloud computing is his area of expertise--just don't ask him what cloud computing means. 
- He loves football, the one played with the feet by footballers, La Liga from Spain being the best.

About his novels: 
- His writing must be emotional, or else… 
- He believes in the Oxford comma, but the Oxford comma doesn't believe in him. 
- Loves first person present tense POV.

Author Links:




GIVEAWAY:

Blog Tour Organized by:

Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Eclipse the Flame by Ingrid Seymour @Ingrid_Seymour @chapterxchapter

Eclipse Blitz
   
Hello Readers!
Welcome to the Book Blitz for
Eclipse the Flame by Ingrid Seymour!
Find out more about book 2 in the Ignite the Shadows series
and be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
 
Happy Book Birthday, Ingrid!
     
Eclipse Cover
 
In the new world of The Takeover nothing and no one will be safe. Marci must choose: love or vengeance.
One night she secretly follows her lover to a club. To her horror she discovers those closest to her, mingling freely with parasitic creatures which have secretly possessed human minds. A bloody ambush follows, leaving Marci a shadow of her former self. Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious attacks. Ignite, the only resistance group, is disintegrating. As the world catches fire, Marci struggles to control the buzzing spectres in her own head. Her hardest battle is between the forces of good and evil within herself. For Marci must fight. She was meant to burn.

add to goodreads

Eclipse The Flame 
(Ignite the Shadows #2) 
by Ingrid Seymour 
Publication Date: August 11, 2016 
Publisher: Harper Voyager

   
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
     
IgniteCover
 
Sixteen-year-old Marci Guerrero is one of the best teen hackers in Seattle. However, she’d give up all her talents to know she isn’t crazy.
Marci feels possessed by what she perceives as shadowy spectres that take control of her body and make her do crazy things. While spying on the clandestine group known as IgNiTe, she’s confronted by the leader, James McCray. His presence stirs the spectres inside her brain into a maddening frenzy. Her symptoms and ability to control them don’t go unnoticed by James, who soon recruits her and shows her the awful truth.
Half of the world’s population is infected by sentient parasites. They bind themselves to the human brain and replace the pathways for all thoughts and actions. The creatures then morph their hosts into grotesque monsters with extraordinary strengths. Winged, clawed, fanged half-humans become living nightmares. Now Marci wishes she was crazy, because the truth is worse.
She’s infected.

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Ignite the Shadows 
(Ignite the Shadows #1) 
by Ingrid Seymour 
Publication Date: October 22, 2015 
Publisher: Harper Voyager

   
About-the-Author2
Ingrid Seymour
 
Ingrid Seymour is the author of IGNITE THE SHADOWS (Harper Voyager). When she’s not writing books, she spends her time working as a software engineer, cooking exotic recipes, hanging out with her family and working out. She writes young adult and new adult fiction in a variety of genres, including Sci-Fi, urban fantasy, romance, paranormal and horror.
Her favorite outings involve a trip to the library or bookstore where she immediately gravitates toward the YA section. She’s an avid reader and fangirl of many amazing books. She is a dreamer and a fighter who believes perseverance and hard work can make dreams come true.
She lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband, two kids and a cat named Mimi.
   
giveaway2
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
 

Chapter-by-Chapter-blog-tour-button  

Cover Reveal: Secret Project by Megan Crewe @megancrewe @XpressoTours


A Mortal Song
Megan Crewe
Publication date: September 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult



Sora’s life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji’s spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother’s last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents’ true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world’s natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she’s ever known.


preorderimage

Everyone who pre-orders A MORTAL SONG (in any format) and submits their receipt at http://bit.ly/SONGpreorder will receive an exclusive gift package including a digital booklet following Sora’s journey through Japan with behind-the-scenes travel photos and author commentary, a 25-page story giving a look at a key sequence in the book from another character’s POV, and a high-res digital poster of the cover signed by the author. They’ll also get access to a bonus content area with deleted scenes and a chance to earn bigger prizes. And for the entire pre-order period, the ebook is only $0.99!


Author Bio:
Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives with her husband, son, and three cats in Toronto, Canada (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she can't look at the night sky without speculating about who else might be out there. 

Join her newsletter for book news, recommended reads, and exclusive giveaways: http://eepurl.com/btE8mH 

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VBT + Review + #Giveaway: The Heaviness of Knowing by Sharolyn G. Brown @SGBrownAuthor @GoddessFish



The Heaviness of Knowing
by Sharolyn G. Brown
GENRE: Science Fiction


BLURB:

Roxal has spent her life using her Dream Traveler ability in service to Trebor’s gods, The Keepers. Even after she learns they aren’t all powerful like she was taught, she dutifully continues to manipulate an Earth woman named Lauren to do their bidding. Roxal’s content pretending to be a loyal follower, until her mate’s activities with a rebel faction put both of their lives in jeopardy.

Meanwhile on Earth, Lauren is struggling to find balance at work and at home. To make matters worse, she develops an acute case of insomnia which disrupts her life. While trying to cure her condition, Lauren discovers that not only do aliens exist, but that she’s been in contact with one for most of her life. And that’s just for starters.


Now Lauren’s world is turned upside down. And Roxal has to figure out if she can harness the survival instincts which before told her to hide and use it to now fight for her survival.


Excerpt:

Now weightless, her body floated out of her makeshift bed into a dark shapeless place. Fog seemed to swirl around her as she drifted in a strange void. A chair would really be nice, she thought.

Then, when she looked to her left, she saw a purple and green chair surrounded by light from an unknown source. The next moment, she was sitting in this chair. Lauren looked around, trying to see where she was, but beyond the mysterious light circle, there was nothing but blackness and fog. As time passed in this place, she heard beeps and voices talking somewhere around her, but couldn’t see the source of either. Now she was afraid.

Should I speak and let them know I’m here? she questioned to herself.

Just as she was about to take her chances with “them,” another voice spoke.

“No, do not let them know you are here.” The voice spoke in a low whisper but was crystal clear.

The speaker sounded as if she was nearby. Lauren didn’t know why, but the voice seemed familiar and felt like she was someone Lauren could trust, so she kept quiet.

“We will both be in trouble if they find you here. It is time for you to go,” the whispering unseen speaker continued.

“What do you—?”

The sensation of being blown away by a strong wind cut Lauren off mid-sentence. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at her ceiling. Lauren sat up, repositioning herself on the sofa, and looked around the room. She remembered she had come to the den when she saw the bright white numbers on the satellite box’s digital display. A smile spread across her face as she read the time, 3:18 AM. She lay back on the sofa’s cushion, still smiling.



My Review:

Roxal lives on the planet Trebor where the rulers are gods and they must obey the gods or face death. Roxal is a Dream Traveler which means that she connects with a woman Lauren on Earth to aid her in making a chip that will help to save Earth. Roxal’s planet Trebor has been destroyed and now the people on Trebor want doing more than to help the people of Earth to save their planet.

On planet Trebor the people are divided into different classes by using what they call the caste system. You have the Dream Travelers, Helpers and Medics among others. The helpers are assigned to help the higher ups with whatever they may need. Roxal’s helper Edo has become more than a helper to her. Roxal and Edo have become mates. Edo is a part of a secret group of people called the resistors. The resistors believe that the Keepers or Gods are lying about their world being destroyed and are tired of living as slave to the Keepers.

Back on Earth Lauren has been having a rough time of it herself. She has started having problems sleeping to the point where she is missing work and has to seek help. While seeking help she has learned that she has been in contact with an alien from another planet for years. She has found out that when she dreams a woman by the name of Roxal comes to visit her in her dreams. But during her therapy sessions why Roxal come to visit her and what she must do to help save Earth.  

Lauren is afraid to tell anyone that Roxal and the aliens she is afraid that they will think she is crazy and lock her away for many, many years and she knows she is not crazy. So she keeps her mouth shut she has no intentions of being declared insane and locked up. But unfortunately I think someone already knows especially when someone comes to her door threatening her and then she is kidnapped by a totally different group of people. Lauren doesn’t know what to do or who to trust. How is she going to get out of this alive? One good thing she still has Roxal they can never take that from her and so maybe she can help her in some way.


The Heaviness of Knowing is one those books that will pull you in and won’t let go until you have read the last page leaving you wanting to know more of Roxal, Edo, Lauren and the other characters lives. This chapter of their lives may have ended but I just know or hope that they have more to tell us about their new lives. If you have not read The Heaviness of Knowing then I would definitely suggest that you do that is if you like reading about aliens, a dystopian style of living with a little romance and suspense thrown in. The characters of The Heaviness of Knowing are going to stay with me for a long time to come. The Heaviness of Knowing is going to be a hard book to “lay” down.


Author Interview:


1. What inspired you to write The Heaviness of Knowing?

A conversation with a friend who told me she never dreams. It made me start thinking about why some people remember their dreams, and others don’t. My imagination took over and came up with an idea involving aliens who were using our dreams to invade the Earth.

2. When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I was around thirty when I knew I wanted to be a writer. Up until that point in my life, I always told myself stories but never thought anyone else would be interested in hearing them.

3. What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Books have just always been a part of my life. The earliest age I actually remember reading a book was first grade. I think it was for school. Or maybe I brought it home from school. But by the time I was third grade I was begging my parents to buy me books whenever we went to a store that sold them.

4. What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I mainly read sci-fi and some fantasy. I love reading about other worlds, paranormal abilities, or interesting twists on our world. Occasionally I’ll read non-fiction books like Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner or Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I read books like these because they help me understand how people think. And knowing how people think helps me to write better characters.

5. What is your favorite book?

There is no way for me to answer this question. I agree with Neil Gaiman who said, “Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose.” It’s much harder for me to choose just one.

6. You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

One of my favorites is Octavia Butler. I love how her novels draw you in and make you lose hours reading them without realizing time has passed. I have a few other favorite authors, but she’s who comes to mind first.

7. If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

I would want to travel back to see the Egyptian pyramids being built and to find out the true purpose for Stonehenge. I know I cheated and listed two times and places, but for me, they are both mysteries about which we can only speculate today. I’d like to go back and see if any of the theories are right about how the pyramids were built or about what Stonehenge was used for.

8. When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

The Heaviness of Knowing came relatively easy because I’d been thinking about the idea for about ten years and had written two previous drafts. Now that I’m writing Books 2 and 3, it’s getting a little more difficult. Though I have been fortunate enough not to suffer writer’s block. The difficulty I’m trying to overcome with Book 2 is writing it so that it advances the story forward, while not contradicting anything from Book 1 and at the same time setting the stage for Book 3.

9. Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

No, unfortunately, I don’t have any pets. My non-writing job requires that I travel frequently. So I’ve never owned a pet. Though I did temporarily keep my sister’s dog, Peanut, while my sister lived in an apartment that did not allow pets. Peanut was a rescue dog. And even though she weighed about 45 pounds, she was the biggest baby. Whenever I sat on the sofa, she would climb up into my lap.

10. What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

My favorite food would be anything chocolate. I traveled overseas on a project for work and was staying in a compound for about three months. I was there two months before I went home on my scheduled R&R (Rest and Relaxation). During that two months, I almost went crazy because there wasn’t a store or somewhere you could buy candy or snacks within the company compound. So I had to go two months without chocolate. When I returned from my R&R, I came back with a carry-on suitcase full of miniature chocolate bars and candies.

11. Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

My advice to someone who wants to be an author is: Write. Because writers write. Even if it's bad, write. Keep writing until you get better. If you need help getting better, get the help you need. But, most importantly, keep writing.



AUTHOR BIO:

Sharolyn G. Brown is a lifelong science fiction and fantasy fan who decided the best way to deal with all of the characters in her head was to give them stories and put them in a book. She lives with her husband in Houston, Texas where she divides her time between working, writing, and spending time with him.


Buy Link:



Giveaway:

$15 Amazon/BN GC 
 



Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.


Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Under a Million Star by Rita Branches @rita_branches @yaboundtourspr



Under a Million Stars
by 
Rita Branches
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 8th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:


Can a beating heart bleed from the shattered pieces?

Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident.

Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him.

Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he's hiding.

Now it's up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie's broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from.
Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them?

*It's a Stand-alone*  


Add to Goodreads

Buy Links: 
Amazon

Excerpt

Charlie

I was so curious to see where he was taking me that I didn’t pay attention to where I put my feet. I stumbled a few times before reaching the car door. He was serious, and I didn’t want him to give up on our stroll, so I kept my mouth closed. I focused on the landscape: the huge trees that shadowed the car. When we were closer to home, he turned onto a dirt road I knew well. After a few hundred meters, he turned again onto an even older road, where the car bounced on the potholes.
I sat straighter in my seat. “You’re taking me to…” I didn’t finish, but my heart started pounding. No, I hadn’t been there in two years. The last time was too painful to remember, and I didn’t understand why he was bringing me here again. Was he a masochist, or did he not care at all?
He parked the car far from the house, because the road was overgrown with bushes, but it just made the scene even more beautiful. The house was just as I’d remembered.
The abandoned farmhouse was situated just to the north of our town, where other houses started to sit farther away from each other. It hugged the south shore of one of the smallest lakes at the base of the mountain. It looked like it had been taken off the cover of a mystery novel, and I’d always loved it. Constructed of wood, the two-story structure was almost a hundred years old, and almost all of the windows were broken.
The front entrance was now covered with weeds; when we were kids, we kept them pulled, but now, with no one to care about it, they’d grown almost to the base of the windows.
Mr. Sullivan, the owner of the house and land that surrounded it, including the entire lake, lived in one of those homes for the elderly. He was almost ninety and had no close family. We’d met him when we were seven and used to visit my grandmother there, before she passed away. But Mr. Sullivan was a great friend of hers and we considered him family ever since.
I’d used to visit him all the time. He had never sold the house, because anyone who would have bought it was likely to destroy everything and build apartment complexes or luxury houses for the rich. He had never agreed to it, so I’d used to joke that, one day, this would be mine, and I would never sell it. Jacob and I would buy the house, restore it, and live there forever.
He’d smiled and said, “Oh, dear, I wish my wife and I had a daughter just like you. When you grow up, you won’t want to live there, though. It is too peaceful for a young person.” I had answered that I loved it because of the peaceful feeling emanating from it.
Jacob and I had used to come here all the time, ever since we were allowed to play alone in the street. This was our secret place; we’d gone through the small forest behind his house to come play around the house, inside it, or even in the lake, when the weather was warm enough.
When our parents had found out that we’d been coming here, they’d grounded us, saying it was too dangerous to be here alone and that the house was old and falling apart, which could hurt us. After that, we’d been more careful about not letting our parents know, but we’d still come to the house almost every day, until two years ago, when we’d kissed.
“Come on,” Jacob said, taking me out of my stupor. We climbed the weak steps that lead to the front porch, and I dragged myself to the front door, which earned me a frown from Jacob.
“Have you come back here, after…” I let the words drop, but his eyes were shadowed for a second, before he nodded, while kicking the door lightly to open it.
“A couple of times when I was… you know, down.” He looked around the hall before letting me in. One big hole greeted us, making the passage difficult. “I think a storm weakened the roof that gave in, there.” He pointed to the ceiling, where I could see the blue sky. “A piece of it fell on the already-weak floor—I almost fell through the first time I saw it.” I let out an involuntary shriek, and he frowned again. He could have been killed here and nobody would have found him.
“The rest of the house is still the same, with a few more holes and broken windows.” He stopped walking and talking the moment we reached the living room. It was exactly the way it had been the last time we’d been here. It would have been more normal if it had been empty, but it wasn’t.
We’d made a house of it, with a small sofa we’d found on the street, a mattress that had gotten too old for my mother’s approval, a couple of blankets we’d stolen from our houses, and boxes full of stuff our mothers had wanted us to get rid of, including some clothes and snacks that were probably spoiled by now.
Jacob had left the room exactly as it had been that day. I leaned against the door and braced myself for the pain that was bound to come at any second. I closed my eyes for a minute, and it was like I went back in time. The two years that had passed evaporated.


Author Interview:


When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I always loved to read and build up stories in my mind, but I started writing in high school.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

My mother always read to me, since I can remember, I suppose I started reading those children’s books as soon as I was able to. In English (my first language isn’t English, for those of you who don’t know), it was Harry Potter. I couldn’t wait for the next book to be available in Portuguese, so I bought it in English and realized it was easy to understand, so I started reading more and more in English.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Right now, it’s New Adult and Young Adult (which is what I write) but I read almost anything.

What is your favorite book?

It’s difficult to say. I went to my goodreads’ favorite’s bookshelf for this question and I have 67 books there and I try to be selective with the books I put there. The firsts that come to my mind are: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (really depressing but beautiful), The Host by Stephenie Meyer (like the whole concept of that world), A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks (it’s Nicholas Sparks, I don’t need to mention it’s depressing). Harry Potter, of course.

But the most well built and that I felt was not understood, was Hunger Games, I think it’s much deeper than people think, I watched the last movie (I read the books long ago) and kept linking the story to what’s happening now in the world, with the refugees, with the world leaders… and I think the public didn’t understand what was under the romance (which is next to nothing and very well done, realistically speaking).

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

It’s the same with favorite books, it’s hard to say. I think J. K. Rowling is brilliant, and for the reasons I stated above, Suzanne Collins is as well.

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Have you watch documentaries on the health problems? The lack of hygiene? I’m kidding - but not really. I like to visit historic places and imagine what it would be like to live there in the past, but I can’t say I would like to live in the past - I’m more curious about the future.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

It depends on the day, there are days I can’t write a sentence that sounds right. When I finished Under a Million Stars, I wrote 10k words in one day and it came out perfectly (even though I went to bed with sore eyes).

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Two amazing dogs, both rescued from the street.

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

I love sushi and pasta.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Write, write, write, the more you write, even if it isn’t a story you wish to publish, writing, like with everything in life needs practice. You’ll get better with each paragraph. Then take a chance and publish it. Don’t get stuck on the idea that no one wants to read your stories.


About the Author
Hi! I'm Rita Branches. I was born and raised in in Portugal and I'm going to independently publish my debut novel in the Spring of 2016, Painting Sky.
I am so happy that you decided to take a look at my work.
Little bit about myself: along with being a writer, I am also a landscape architect. I started writing to bring 'to life' the stories that my mind created.
I LOVE to read. It was and always will be my passion.

Author Links:


Blog Tour Organized by:

Review + #Giveaway: Slip (Slip #1) by David Estes @davidestesbooks


Slip (Slip #1)
by David Estes
Published December 1st 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Blurb:

Someone must die before another can be born...

As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip.

But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone?

And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip?

In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted.


Goodreads ~ Amazon



Guest Post:

Plotter or Pantser?

By David Estes

Every author has their own way of doing things, and there’s not necessarily a “right” way to write a novel. From my humble beginnings as I stumbled through writing my first book, to now, having written and published more than 20 twenty novels, I have always been a pantser at heart. It’s funny, I never really made a conscious decision to say, “Hey, I’m too cool to outline, so I’m just going to sit down and start writing!” It was more that the thought of writing an outline made me cringe and think of school and homework. It just wasn’t for me, and if anything, would’ve stifled my creativity and artistic process. That being said, I am not an advocate of writing by the seat of one’s pants; you simply have to write the way YOU feel works the best for YOU. That could be a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, complete with character cards, character arcs, major plot points and twists, etc, or something less specific, say a rough outline. In any case, here’s how I roll:

I start with an idea. The hook of the story, as it’s called. From there I just close my eyes and think for a while. If my idea were a type of cooking, you could say I let it marinate. This is one of my favorite parts of the writing process, because there are no limitations, and the possibilities are endless. This is where I make the idea MY story. I let various characters speak to me, some of whom end up being the perfect characters for my book, and others who don’t fit quite right, and never see the light of day. I consider major plot points, characters attributes, twists, etc. This is my outline, only it’s all in my head.

From there, I jot down some bullet points. Not many, maybe a dozen. These are the sparks that will help me light the fire that will carry my book to completion. I don’t necessarily have to stick to all of these points, but in many cases I do.

What do I do next?

I start writing! That’s what makes me a pantser. The entire preparation phase for a new project for me is a couple of hours. That’s it. The stories I have inside me are like a flood building behind a dam, demanding to be let through. So I poke a hole or two. I literally sit down, write the title or working title for the book, and then “Chapter One”, and then I go. I don’t agonize over the first word or the first line, I don’t seek perfection, I just start writing whatever pops into this strange head of mine, and then see where that takes me. At the end of my first writing session, which is usually between two and three thousand words, I take a bunch more notes, because NOW the ideas are really flowing and the story is starting to take even more shape in my head. I don’t try to push things too much during the first week or two, keeping my daily word counts relatively low, because sometimes the more important time I spend is sitting back and THINKING.

As the weeks go on, I ramp things up, writing four, five, or even six thousand words a day, the story pouring out of me, moving from a light rain to a torrential downpour. The story is like a living, breathing thing, changing, growing, surprising even ME with the twists and turns it takes. On numerous occasions my readers have applauded me for twists that “shocked” them. I have to admit, sometimes those twists shocked me too! A good example is one of my most popular dystopian series, THE SLIP TRILOGY, where there are a number of twists from book to book. Honestly, I didn’t come up with most of those twists until almost just before they appear in the books! The biggest one of all, which makes PERFECT SENSE, didn’t come to me until the very end of the third book. But when it did, I jumped out of my chair and did a fist pump and probably looked completely insane. Because it was perfect, poetic and chilling and everything a twist is supposed to be. After I thought of it, I wondered why it took me so long to come up with it. And then I realized it was because I needed to let the rest of the story build first, preparing myself and my characters for that particular revelation. For me, that’s a major part of what I love about being a pantser, the excitement that comes as each new piece of the puzzle takes shape in my mind, clicking into place to form something that was MEANT TO BE.

As I like to say, creativity breeds creativity, and until you start writing, you don’t really know what kind of story you have. At least that’s the way it is for me, from the very beginning. There is no right or wrong way to write a book, only a right way for each author. For me, that’s PANTSER all the way! If you’re interested in checking out THE SLIP TRILOGY, or any of my other dystopian and post-apocalyptic books, check out my Amazon author profile for a full listing.


Happy Reading!


My Review:

Imagine living in a world where if you want to have a baby then someone else must die. Before you can have said child then you must register the birth and get a Death Match for your baby. But what if your child’s death match was a dud? What if the person that was supposed to die so you could have your baby didn’t? What would happen to your child? To you? To your family? This happened to Michael Kelly and his family. His son’s death match did not die. Now his child is a “Slip”.  

Michael must now keep his child, the boy with no name a secret from the rest of the world. He keeps him locked up away from the eyes of the world. This is all the boy with no name has ever known. He loves and trusts his father and only wants to make him happy by always doing what he tells him to do so therefor he never tries to leave or run away. But like all kids he is very inquisitive and has lots of questions for father about his life.

Michael works for the company that is in control of the population, PopCon and it is run by the government. PopCon hunts down the slips and kills them and anyone who is harboring them. Michael is not happy with his job and doesn’t like what he does but he does his job for his family and the boy with no name. It all goes back to what lengths would you go to for your child? What would you do to protect your child?

I know I have said this many times before but I know for a fact that Slip is one book that I will never forget. I really love the whole concept that made Slip what it is although; I did do my share of crying at times. I can’t understand how anyone could have so much hate in their hearts. How could anyone live like this without ever questioning it? I guess it is just like any society where you are told something and it is passed down from generation to generation and before long no one is left alive that knew what life was like before. So therefor no one thinks to question it or think outside the box so to speak.

If you like reading science fiction, dystopian books with some awesome characters that live in a world where one must die before another can be born then you are going to love Slip. Pick your copy of Slip today so that you can enter into the lives of the “Slips”. Trust me you won’t regret it. 


About the Author:

David Estes has written more than 20 YA and Children's science fiction and fantasy books. He has a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), is a mad-skilled ping-pong player, an obsessive Goodreads group member, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. He loves chatting with his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends. David lives in Hawaii with his beautiful Aussie wife, Adele, his asthmatic cat, Bailey, and his rambunctious son, Beau.





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