Wanted Readers: Excerpt, Giveaway & Interview: Otherborn by Anna Silver

Title: Otherborn

Series: Otherborn, #1

Author: Anna Silver

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

Publication: April 4, 2013

Genre: YA

Subgenres: Dystopian, Science Fiction

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Synopsis:
London and her teenage friends live in a reprocessed world.

Confined within Capital City’s concrete walls, London has done the impossible and the illegal. She’s created something New- a song. But her mentor, club owner Pauly, is not impressed. Since the historic Energy Crisis forced everyone behind walls generations ago, the Tycoons have ensured there is truly nothing new allowed under the sun. Pauly warns London to keep her song to herself, if she knows what’s good for her.

What he doesn’t know is that London is keeping an even bigger secret: she dreams. And she’s not alone. London’s band-mates and friends have begun dreaming as well, seeing themselves in “night pictures” as beings from another world. As Otherborn, they must piece together the story of their astral avatars, the Others, in order to save their world from a dreamless, hopeless future.

When Pauly is murdered and an Otherborn goes missing, London realizes someone is hunting them down. Escaping along the Outroads, they brave the deserted Houselands with only their dreams to guide them. Can they find their friend before the assassin finds them? Will being Otherborn save their lives, or destroy them?

Interview:

An Interview with London

1. Your lives have changed drastically since your journey began, what do you hope for the future?

Freedom. Freedom to create, to dream, to live as we want, to be who we are. And access to all that the Tycoons have been keeping from us. Not just for me, but for everyone. It’s only fair.

2. How do you feel about having to be on the run?

It sucks, but what can you do? I miss Pauly. I even miss my mom. But this is our life now. No point looking back.

3. If you could travel back through music history, where would you go and why?

I think I’d crash Woodstock. Pauly said it was this epic concert that happened long before the Energy Crisis. He said people traveled from all over the world to be there. But, like everything else worth dreaming about, most people say it’s just a story, it never happened.

4. If you could do one thing over again or differently what would it be?

I’d be kinder to my mom. I’d hug her more and care less that she was too drunk to hug me back. She may not be the best mom around, but she’s the only one I’ve got.

5. What scares you the most?

Losing Rye. He’s my whole heart, you know? I can’t imagine life without him.

6. What makes you happiest?

Music. Writing, playing, anything to carry me away from this place the Tycoons have wrecked for us. When this is all over, I’m going to scrap a new guitar and write more songs. If I make it that far.

Excerpt:

When she at last finished, London put down the guitar and said breathlessly, “I’m still working out the lyrics on that last part.”

Pauly gave her a quizzical look, but didn’t respond.

“So, what do you think?”

He nodded, “Not bad. But I’ve never heard that one. Who’s it by? They can’t be anyone I introduced you to. You got a disc Scrapper up your sleeve that I don’t know about?”

London laughed. Pauly always shared his discs with her, which allowed her to save anything and everything she could to trade for illegal tech. He should know she wouldn’t turn to a Scrapper for new music material, no matter where they managed to find the discs and sneak them into the city. “No old man. It’s mine.”

Pauly dropped his arms, his face serious now. “What do you mean yours?”

London shrugged, her loose sweater nearly dropping off one shoulder. “I mean I wrote it.”

Pauly shook his head, his remaining wisps of hair dancing in the air above it. “Wrote it? You?”

“Yeah,” London said, nonchalant. “What’s the big deal?” But London knew exactly what the big deal was. Her song was New.

She hopped off the stage and sat her guitar at the end of the bar. “Come on, let’s shine those glasses now.” She pretended not to notice the dumbfounded expression on Pauly’s face.

“London,” he said quietly behind her. “That’s impossible.”

“Can’t be. Just did it, didn’t I?” She turned to give him a teasing smile, but when she saw his face, the smile faded.

He was looking at her with a mixture of awe and fear, as though she’d sprouted another head right before his eyes.

“London, this is serious,” he said in a low voice.

“I thought you’d like it,” she replied, lowering her eyes, her disappointment at his reaction mounting.

“Doesn’t matter if I like it, does it? H-how? When?” His normally open face was balled into a cluster of creases, one for every question.

“I dunno. Last couple of weeks, I guess. Rye helped.”

Pauly put a thick finger beneath London’s chin and lifted her face to the light. “You’re special, kid. You know that, right?”

She rolled her eyes then nodded when his expression went sour.

“I want you to listen to me when I say this, okay? Listen good. Special ain’t tolerated. Not here. Not nowhere. Not anymore.”

Author Bio:

Anna Silver is an author and artist living in the greater Houston area with her family, pets, and overactive imagination. Her art has been featured in the Houston gallery Las Manos Magicas. She studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. She's freelanced for private clients and small publications like the Hill Country Current. OTHERBORN, her first published novel, has been featured on 2 of Amazon's "Bestsellers" lists. She is represented by Rebecca Podos and Nicole LaBombard of Rees Literary Agency.