"The Conclave" by Tenille Berezay

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

The Conclave
(The Converters Trilogy Book 3)

by Tenille Berezay

The Conclave, the third and final book in The Converters Trilogy by Tenille Berezay, will be released 21 July but is currently available for a special pre-order price. Also available: The Convergence (read my blog post) and The Keep (read my blog post).

The author is currently on tour and visits us today to share an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Having escaped the dangers of The Keep, Desiree is determined to free Blake. But when a government-enhanced converter goes rogue, the ensuing battle for power, control, and lives makes Blake’s rescue a secondary mission. As Desiree struggles to overcome past demons and new, stifling expectations, she faces converters more powerful, dangerous, and desperate than ever. To protect those she loves, redeem the convergence, overtake The Keep, and honor the Conclave, Desiree will have to redefine her future.

The Conclave is the intense, action-packed final book in the Converters trilogy; the conclusion of Desiree’s journey.

Excerpt

Pausing at the door, I peer through the tiny window into the lab. Just as the doctor said, Michelle is there, her bright skirt touching the floor, her glasses firmly planted on the bridge of her nose, her small frame hunched over a stool.

The lab is like her; mostly organized with small spaces of chaos. Reminding myself of my sole purpose for visiting, my solitary question, I push through the door.

Glancing up, Michelle stills at the sight of me. Between open shelves filled with metal plates, computer chips and various other tools, her eyes go wide. Under dark frames her blue gaze studies me intently before softening. “Desiree,” she says and I can almost believe she missed me.

I pick up a remote-like object from the counter, shifting it from one hand to the other, suddenly as awkward as the scientist in front of me.

“It works almost like a magnet, you pass it over an ankle band or an Equalizer and they automatically open,” Michelle says, before stopping abruptly.

I set it down, thinking of the many times a device like that would have come in handy. Looking to the ceiling for surveillance cameras, I ask, “Is this lab secure?”

“One of the most secure locations in the building.” She glances down at the counter before her. “Damiz wanted all my inventions kept secret.” As I round the counter, I can see the pencil swinging in her hand, the drawing laid out before her.

“And Talbot?”

She looks back to me, curiosity overcoming her guilt. “What about Talbot?”

“How many secrets is he demanding?” I rap my fingers on the counter.

Michelle glances to the exit. Flipping the pencil, she taps the eraser on the paper. I allow the awkward silence, my fingers drumming, opposing her nervous beat.

Finally, her hand stills. The pencil drops and her shoulders slump. “The number doesn’t matter, does it?” I inch forward to hear her quietly whispered words. “One is enough. Enough to condemn me.”

Condemn. That’s what I’ve done to her—put the weight of my expectations and disappointments on her. If she had had more fight, would I have had less of one?

Staring vacantly at her paper, she reaches for the discarded pencil. “The least I can do is keep my work from hurting anyone else.”

“Do you trust Talbot?” I ask the question that’s been growing, clawing at my resolve since I stepped into Amplified Industries. The question I keep asking myself.

Michelle’s face becomes open in its honesty. “I don’t trust anyone anymore.” Her confession comes out pained. It was what I expected but hoped not to hear.

I shift away from her hurt, turning to the door. There, I pause, hand on the doorway when Michelle’s says, “It seems like the more secrets we have, the more threatened we are.”

Without turning back, I answer, “Then maybe it’s time to stop hiding.”

Praise for the Book

"Oh my HEAVENS!!!!! I'm coming off of an intense page turner read, a bibliophile adrenaline rush?! So good!!!" ~ Julie Carpenter

"This book had a lot of twists in the plot, keeping me on the edge throughout most of it. I would definitely say this is a lot more action packed, and the romance is merely a very small element to the book." ~ Mylissa's Reviews and Book Thoughts

"You expect certain things in the final installment of a trilogy. If the series is well-written, then tensions have been building to a head for two whole books until, finally, all is revealed. Everyone finds themselves squarely on one of two sides, and the knock-down, drag-out battle royale that follows will likely have a high body count. These are things I expected when I started The Conclave. And I got 'em." ~ Patrick Hodges

"This book is like a rollercoaster. Every time you think you're about to get off, it takes you around again. There's so much action and so many twists between these pages that it's just insane." ~ Michelle Lynn

"What a ride! This series has been non-stop tension, thrills, and action! The conclusion to The Converters Trilogy is a very strong finish and I enjoyed it immensely." ~ Reads & Reels

About the Author

After living throughout the western US, Tenille now claims rural Northern Nevada as her home. If she's not being consumed by a book - whether her own or another author's - she'd like to be found horseback riding, backpacking with her high-school sweetheart/husband, or photographing their three beautiful children.

Tenille loves to read any genre (as long as there's great dialogue with a touch of snark). She believes in authentic characters, romantic sub-plots, and realistic, happy endings.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Plus, enter the Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of The Convergence by Tenille Berezay (US only, ends 21 July).

Plus, enter another Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of The Keep by Tenille Berezay (US only, ends 21 July).

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"The Keep" by Tenille Berezay

GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY

The Keep
(Converters Book 2)

by Tenille Berezay

The Keep is the second book in the Converters series by Tenille Berezay. Also available: The Convergence (currently ON SALE; read my blog post).

The Keep is currently on tour with YA Bound Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

After a pardon from the convergence, Desiree returns to the protection of home. But safety is an illusion and her family is shattered by the violent retribution of a desperate enemy. On the run again, Desiree struggles to keep those she loves from a host of gathering threats - debilitating doubts, manipulative converters, dark technology, and a murdering madman. To save them all, Desiree will need more than her ability to convert, she’ll need to redefine her strength.

The Keep is the dramatic sequel to The Convergence; a continuation of Desiree and Blake’s story.

Excerpt

“What you need is combat training.” She points at the screens as they and the floor light up. The scene wavers then clears, leaving an image looking remarkably like the island outside. From the desk, Jade hands me a pair of goggles.

Since she’s being difficult, I slide them on without question. The sudden realism causes me to stumble backward. With the lenses on, the trees and vegetation of the island are suddenly alive. Their appearance is so authentic, I slide the glasses on and off a couple of times.

Jade’s sigh draws my attention to her rolling eyes. “Can you take this seriously?”

Tipping the goggles up, I glare at her. “Just enjoying the life I have left.”

Her frown deepens. “You’ll enjoy it more by learning to stay alive.” She points to the scene and I slide the glasses back on. “You can interact with anything you see on screen. Use whatever you find for weapons. There are no friendlies.”

Nodding as if everything she said was totally expected and commonplace, I step to the center of the lit floor. I clap my hands together. “I’m ready.”

“I doubt it.” I hear her say before the fight draws me in.

First, a man jumps from the tree to my right. I kick out knocking him back. He disappears. A shuffling in the trees draws my attention to another charging enemy. This one holds a knife in his hands. With a grab and a flick, I have the weapon. I slash at him and he vanishes. From above, a man drops. I roll away, throwing the knife simultaneously. It hits his chest and both he and the weapon disappear.

Two men rush me from opposite sides. Using a large nearby branch, I club one across the skull and fling one overhead with a well-placed hit between the legs. I knock the next attacker from a nearby tree by pelting him with the branch.

Then—from straight ahead—I’m threatened with a gun. I kick out, knocking it from his hands. The metal glints as it flies through the air. Sprinting, I catch it and spin to train it on the disarmed man. Seeing his hands thrown in the air, my finger eases off the trigger.

Instantly, everything disappears. Ripping the glasses away, I spin to Jade. She’s sitting at the desk, her chin resting on clasped hands, her beautiful features twisted in disappointment.

I pull in a restless breath. “What?”

She gestures to the now empty space. “I’ll admit you can fight.”

I toss the goggles on the desk. “But?”

Her gaze is level with unflinching honesty. “But you’re not going to survive.” I bite back my defense—the truth is I’m not even going to fight. Jade mistakes my silence for acceptance. “I said there were no friendlies. You should have pulled that trigger without hesitation, instead you didn’t pull it at all. What you lack is a killer instinct. That’s something I can’t train into you. You have to find it.”… She spins on a precarious heel and clicks to the door.

I stop her retreat. “So I’m supposed to suddenly become a blood thirsty murderer?”

“No, Desiree Morgan. You stay on offense. Always on offense. The minute you drop to defense is the minute you die.”

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

"Takes us right back into the crazy, fast paced world of converting, with Desiree on the run after the shocking events of the first book. I was sucked into this captivating read from page one. Berezay creates a world of supernatural and does so with a huge dose of humor, action, romance and enough inner dialogue to leave you thinking about this book long after you finish the last page. This series is one of the best in its kind and I can't wait for book three." ~ Mylissa's Reviews and Book Thoughts

Guest Post by the Author

Levels of Inspiration

I’m always asked how I came up with the idea for the Converters series. Usually, I don’t walk around with a lot of fantastic ideas in my head (though there are plenty of mediocre ones), but the idea of converting started with a sudden burst of brilliant inspiration, followed by lots of tiny inspirational bits.

The initial burst hit me one day as I was driving home from a day spent working on the ranch. Some near-death experience must have happened, but for the life of me (no pun intended) I can’t remember what it was ... those near-death things are pretty frequent occurrences in ranching. So, safe in my car, I start thinking about adrenaline and how cool it would be if you could get that kind of burst of energy anytime you wanted. How it would be if you could control that energy.

Next, I started studying real-life "superhumans" and the science behind our untapped mental potential. As I did, the process of converting developed in my mind. If a person could convert their emotions into energy and direct that energy into a physical or mental boost, it would create a world of realistic, believable superheroes.

Desiree came next - a kick-butt girl who has an ability she can’t begin to understand. Then I needed a guy who knew what she was and trains her. Originally, I wanted this to be an older-grandfather type because the new-guy with secrets and girl hiding powers is so very, very cliché. In the end, I caved into the cliché because I think the insta-love cliché is the devil and if my hero wasn’t the one with Desiree from the beginning their relationship would lack depth. It seemed a choice between an overdone cliché and an evil cliché. I chose overdone. I guess this probably qualifies as more desperation and less inspiration.

Once I started the story, inspiration came from conversations, personal relationships, and other great reads. The characters started taking on a life of their own and the story started flowing, driven by their reactions and motivations. The biggest surprise to me was the ending of The Convergence. I had something very cheesy and corny planned, but once I got there it all seemed wrong and not true to the characters. Once again, I caved in order to keep the character’s more realistic and true to themselves.

Inspiration for The Keep came mostly from the characters themselves and my beta readers. I asked them what they wanted to see from Desiree and Blake and shaped all of those answers into a book. I also took my reviews into consideration, increasing the pacing and intensity. So, in a nutshell, The Keep was inspired by my readers and their love of the original characters.

Overall, I feel like inspiration is the easy part. Time is the challenge. I have lots of inspired books ideas bouncing around in my head, just waiting for all of other tiny bits of brilliance to shape them into a book worth reading. But first, I’m focusing on the third and final book in the Converters series. Hopefully, there’s enough inspiration left to give Desiree and Blake the ending they deserve. And I hope you’ll enjoy the first two books in their story!

About the Author

After living throughout the western US, Tenille now claims rural Northern Nevada as her home. If she's not being consumed by a book - whether her own or another author's - she'd like to be found horseback riding, backpacking with her high-school sweetheart/husband, or photographing their three beautiful children.

Tenille loves to read any genre (as long as there's great dialogue with a touch of snark). She believes in authentic characters, romantic sub-plots, and realistic, happy endings.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Links

Add to Goodreads

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Amazon UK

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

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"The Convergence" by Tenille Berezay

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

The Convergence
(Converters Book 1)

by Tenille Berezay

The Convergence is the first book in the new Converters series by Tenille Berezay. This book blast and giveaway is brought to you by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

Description

Hiding unbelievable physical abilities, seventeen-year-old Desiree Morgan buries herself inside the realities of high school. But when Blake Thomas infiltrates her life, all of Desiree’s secrets begin to unravel. With answers come more questions and soon she is entangled in a world of secret societies, human experimentation, perilous power-struggles, and ultimate sacrifice. To escape, Desiree can’t be simply extraordinary … she must redefine the impossible.

The Convergence is a story of one girl’s search to understand herself and the realization of what makes her truly great.

Excerpt

Ten days. Ten days of brutal analysis down and I wake up to the realization I’ve lost. Lost my faith, dignity, reason. After being chipped apart bit by bit, it’s all gone. Maybe it was the memory of the flash flood, or the last Doren-supervised beating. Regardless, somewhere along the way, I lost it all for a father I’ve never met.

Knocking on the door, Talbot enters. It’s something he’s done religiously ever since I mentioned how disconcerting his sudden appearances were. “Ready for more analysis?”

“Abuse.” The word slides off my tongue.

He glances at my tray of uneaten food and his eyes disappear under a hood of regret. “De—”

“Talbot, I’m…” My mouth forms around the word. With one word I could forget, could go home. That word braces itself in me, becoming impossible to say, if for no other reason than the fact that I’ve come this far.

[Want more? Click to Look Inside.]

Praise for the Book

"If you like the action of Divergent, romance of Twilight, and super human powers like X-men, you’ll absolutely love this book."

"I have read a lot of young adult science fiction/romance and this is right up there with the best of them."

"I was captured from the beginning by Desiree’s story, but even more so by the handsome and charming Blake."

About the Author

After living throughout the western US, Tenille now claims rural Northern Nevada as her home. If she’s not being consumed by a book - whether her own or another author’s - she’d like to be found horseback riding, backpacking with her high-school sweetheart/husband, or photographing their three beautiful children.

Giveaway

Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Links

Add to Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Blog

Facebook

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