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Friday, March 13, 2015

Excerpt & Giveaway: Elevated by Daniel Solomon Kaplan

Title: Elevated
Series: Elevated Saga #1
Author: Daniel Solomon Kaplan
Publication: September 23rd 2014 
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult


Synopsis: 
Most kids can’t wait until Elevated Day, when they can finally unlock their hidden superpower. Rose remains a skeptic. While the treatment reveals a power, the outcome is irreversible and abilities can range from amazing to a nuisance. On top of that, she holds a deep rooted grudge against the treatment that turned her father into an Unsound, one with abilities so dangerous as to force them to a life of exile.

Her choice sends her down a path of discovery, as she seeks to learn more of the truth around the treatment and what really happened to her father. Fed up with lies, Rose wants nothing more than to learn the whole truth–even if it means accepting her fate as an Elevated.


Excerpt: 
A tap on my shoulder causes me to lurch.
“You’re next,” Elliott says.
What did I do to deserve waiting with this guy? “Yeah.”
“Can you really do it?” Elliott asks.
“Do what?”
“Live not knowing, not seeing what could be.”
“I could ask you the same question.”
He’s puzzled.
“Let’s say you go through those doors and become an Unsound. And you get locked away from your family and friends for your entire life. Tell me you won't wonder what a normal life could be.”
Elliott leans in. “You know an Unsound, don’t you?”
I nod. “My dad.”
He turns his head away from me. “I’m sorry.”
I’ve always faced the same reaction. They think it’s sympathy, but it’s fear. As much as everyone talks about genetics not factoring in and your parents not determining your powers, having an Unsound in the family is mark of shame. Most don’t discuss it. The only person in my high school that knows is Aaron. After the torture thrown at me in middle school, the last thing I want to do is let anyone know.
The exit door stands to my left. I want to bolt. Want to get out of this place. Something keeps me glued to my chair.
“Rose. I know you’re scared. But if you leave now, you won’t get another chance.”
He’s right. With millions of kids involved, getting another appointment is near impossible. I would end up with the other Basics. I stare at the screen, willing the phoenix not to fly by again.
“Rose. Think about this.”
“You think I haven’t? It’s all I’ve thought for years. I’m not like you, or the other kids here. You sit there, blindly waiting for your number to be called, trusting everything will be—“
“You don't know me at all.” For the first time, there’s terror in Elliott’s face. He turns back to watch the screen.
“So you’re scared too, then.”
Did he feel as helpless as I did?
Elliott takes a deep breath. “I can't control which system I was born in. I can only control how I cope with it.”
“That's the only power you think you have?” I ask.
“It’s the only power any of us have. Anything else is an illusion.”
My heart jolts as the phoenix flies by and displays my number. The mechanical voice cuts through me. “Now serving A535. That's A535. Thank you.”
I’m still. Trapped between two worlds. Somehow, none of the thinking, the planning or the debating have prepared me for this moment. Elliott stands and tries to nudge me out of my chair. I won’t move. I’ll wait here. If they want me so bad, they can drag me through those doors. A part of me wishes they would. The exit is a few steps away.

“Rose, please!” His blue eyes plead with me.

Author Bio:
Daniel Solomon Kaplan is a playwright turned author after much arm twisting from his wife. He currently has several novels in the works, including CATALYST, the next book of the Elevated Series, scheduled to debut before the end of the year.


Giveaway: This giveaway for one (1) eBook copy of Elevated. Open internationally.Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway is sponsored by the Author and/or Xpresso Book Tours.

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Sunday, March 1, 2015

Cover Reveal: Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis


Title: Cage of Deceit 
Author: Jennifer Anne Davis
Series: Reign of Secrets #1
Publication: August 25th 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult


Synopsis:
Jennifer Anne Davis’ best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.

Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she's beautiful, elegant, and refined. She is the darling of the kingdom and, one day, will be the most powerful ruler in the world. But for her, life at court is like a suffocating cage. During the day, she manages to keep a smile on her face and play the part of the perfect princess. But at night, she sneaks out of the castle and roams the streets with a commoner who doesn't know her true identity. She keeps tabs on the shady under dealings of the city and seeks out ways to help her people firsthand.

When a royal messenger arrives half dead, carrying news that an army from the northern front is amassing to destroy Emperion, Allyssa is forced to entertain an alliance with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom. She needs to marry him in order to secure his country's help to fight their mutual enemy. Prince Odar turns out to be rather charming, well spoken, and cultivated. In other words, he represents everything she despises about court life. To make matters worse, the prince insists that Jarvik— his nosy squire—watch Allyssa's every move, suffocating her even more. Jarvik is infuriating, bossy, and constantly looks down upon her.

When she sneaks out of the castle in disguise one evening, Allyssa comes face-to-face with an assassin who isn't from this part of the world, an assassin who was sent to murder the royal family. Stuck in an impossible bind, she allows Jarvik to help her. Together, the unlikely pair confronts the man sent to kill her so she can discover who's behind the lethal plot. Only, the more she learns, the more she understands that the invading army and the assassin are connected to an enemy she thought was long gone—an enemy with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. The cage she so longs to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she has to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.

Author Bio: 
Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she married her best friend and high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids' creativity.