"Novus" by Crystal Marcos

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Novus
(The Cresecren Chronicles Book 1)

by Crystal Marcos

Novus by Crystal Marcos, the first book in The Cresecren Chronicles, recently received two book awards! To celebrate, it will be on SALE for $1.99 to 15 May.

This book blast and giveaway is brought to you by I Am A Reader.

Description

Ideal for Hunger Games and Divergent fans, Crystal Marcos delivers Novus, a riveting novel set in a dystopian future of action-adventure, suspense, and romance. Intriguing characters and a gripping storyline keep the reader turning page after page.

Being a teenager is hard enough. And what if your life’s path is predetermined? On top of that, you aren’t even Human?

Cayden was given life as a Cresecren. He expected to live out his days with the dysfunctional Human family he was assigned to serve. One fateful night, however, landed him in Gavaron, the home of maimed, elderly, or defiant Cresecren.

Beyond its borders is the Den, an area much more dangerous than he ever imagined. Now seventeen, Cayden unwittingly becomes involved in a conspiracy and is one of a handful of survivors fleeing a deadly attack. They set off on a perilous journey in search of refuge and the truth. Along the way, Cayden begins to comprehend the difference between fully living and merely surviving, while trying to balance his emotions and a forbidden love.

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Excerpt

“How can I believe you after you just told me you are a liar!” I jumped to my feet. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know her story and what her life consisted of, but how would I know if she was telling me the truth?

“Please don’t go. Sit back down.” She patted the space I just left. I stood looking at her, thoroughly confused. “I am ready to tell you who Linnayah really is. I am tired of being deceitful. I need to tell you as only then can you decide what you want. But know one thing for certain, I am NEVER going back! NEVER! That Linnayah is dead!”

I stared into her sorrowful eyes. I sat back down. “It is not as though I have anywhere else to be. I think Alecander and Bentum can figure out our next move. Besides, I would rather not watch Famous drool as he sleeps.”

Her face relaxed, showing me a small smile. “Just promise me one thing.”

“I have never promised anyone anything.”

“I would be honored to be the first,” Linnayah said. I saw weakness and desperation in her eyes.

“What is it you want me to promise?”

“Promise me that how you felt about me when you climbed that ladder just moments ago will not change no matter what I tell you.”

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

Praise for the Book

Awards:
"Official Selection" Winner in the Young Adult category, 2015 New Apple Book Awards!
Winner Best Books in the Young Adult category, 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards!

"Novus by Crystal Marcos is one of those gems that make you care about the characters within the story, and while you definitely want to know what happens to them, you can’t help but also not want to get to the end of the book. It’s the kind of book whose characters you miss when you finish the book." ~ Kim Anisi for Readers’ Favorite- 5 stars

"I would recommend this book for readers of all ages. It has all the components one might be looking for in a book. With the stunning success of similar novels such as The Hunger Games and Divergent, I believe this book will find it's place right next to these on your book shelf." ~ Paul

From the Author

The idea for Novus came to me over three years ago in a dream that jolted me awake. I wanted to go back to sleep, hoping to pick up where I left off. I didn't, and kept thinking about it. I wanted to know more about the people in my dream, more about the setting, more about what was going on and where the story was leading. I finally have the answers, and am delighted to share them. What you're about to read is a look into my imagination and my dreams. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I had fun creating it.

About the Author

Award-winning author Crystal Marcos has been a storyteller her entire life. As the oldest of five children, she had to do a lot of entertaining. She lives on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State with her husband, daughter Kaylee, and infant son Jaxon. Crystal is the author of Bellyache: A Delicious Tale and Headache: The Hair-Raising Sequel to Bellyache. Novus, her third book and first Young Adult novel, is Book One of The Cresecren Chronicles.

Giveaway

Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

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"And I Trusted You" by Jamela

ON SALE for $0.99

And I Trusted You

by Jamela

The short story collection And I Trusted You is only one of the books by Jamela (also known as Ms. J) which are now ON SALE for only $0.99. You can also read my interview with the author below.

Description

It takes a strong woman to survive, no matter what the trial. Remember, it’s temporary.

Denise married her high school sweetheart, but things have changed over the years. Or have they?

Leslie is committed to her family, but other people have their own ideas about her life. Wonder what they have planned?

Samantha has tried everything, now there is nothing left to do but let him know how she feels. Who will walk away?

Adrienne wants this man so bad she can taste it and she knows he wants her, too. She finally gets him, but can she keep him?

Jessica has always been self sufficient, but did she put her trust in the wrong man?

Tasha loved her job and her boss loved her. How will she handle things with him and at home?

We can survive anything, from betrayal to violence as long as we are strong. Find your strength in one of these stories?

Excerpt (from "Because I Love You")

Denise was surprised when she felt Damon’s right hand slam into the side of her face. He had never done anything like this, because he knew better. Maybe he was just having a bad day. She covered the right side of her face holding her head down as she listened to him ranting and raving about nothing, once again.

“Don’t you ever make me choose between you and my career! I’ve told you time and time again what my career plans are. You don’t have any right to interfere with them. Do you know how long I’ve been working to get here?” Denise nodded her head slowly. She had never seen him this upset about anything.

“Apparently you don’t. I’m not gonna have this conversation with you again. And to think, you’re raising my children.” He mumbled. “You are so stupid. Please, Lord, don’t let my children grow up to be like her!” Damon said as he strode into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She hoped that he would take his medicine and then go to sleep. It was getting more and more difficult to live with him and no one else knew what she was going through.

Review

By Bella

I'm really not into short stories but boy this was definitely a great read. I enjoyed them all! Someone out there can at least relate to one of these stories if not more. Yes, I would recommend to a friend.

Interview With the Author

Hi Jamela, thanks for joining me today to discuss your book, And I Trusted You.

Which writers have influenced you the most?

Alice Walker, William Faulkner, Ray Bradbury, Toni Morrison, Mary Higgins Clark, V. C. Andrews, Dean Koontz, Barbara Taylor Bradford, and so many more.

What age group do you recommend your book for? 20-99.

What sparked the idea for this book?

Questions on how I've stayed married for so long.

Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?

The idea.

What was the hardest part to write in this book?

The first story which deals with domestic violence, it was inspired by some close to me.

How do you hope this book affects its readers?

I hope they realize that every relationship will have it problems, but if it is meant to be and both parties are willing to work at it, then it can last. It’s a testament to survival.

How long did it take you to write this book?

A few months.

What is your writing routine?

Now I write ever chance I get, I’m busier than ever with my education, my family and authors. Therefore I have to schedule time to write, which is why I have strict office hours to allow for this.

How did you get your book published?

I have a business partner and she published it for me.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Research. There are ways that it can be done for free, if you want to hurry and get your book out. You can also do it independently, as I did. For those looking to publish with one of the big companies, get an agent.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read, play with my grandson, sing and cooking relaxes me.

What does your family think of your writing?

They say they are proud of me and they were the ones to encourage me to publish my writing.

Please tell us a bit about your childhood.

I was born in Baltimore, but was raised in South Carolina during the 70’s. I’m the oldest of six children born to a single mother who taught us to be good citizens and love God.

Did you enjoy school?

I loved school. I still do.

Did you like reading when you were a child?

Yes. I read all the time. My mother would fuss at me for trying to read in the dark with only a little light from the street.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was ten years old. That’s when I started writing.

Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?

Yes and I believe that is the reason I like short stories.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do hear from my readers. They have said that they love my style and appreciate that it is not full of sex and profanity. They have commented on how I am able to put the reader directly in the middle of the story. Often they ask for second parts to something I’ve written.

That's great! What can we look forward to from you in the future?

In early 2014 a fiction novella, Kidnapped In Love, is coming.

March 2014 The Journey: Domestic Violence is coming. This is a co-ed anthology of men and women with true stories or poems directly related to domestic violence. The is the secon Journey book which was started by Aija M. Butler, my business partner, as a part of her recovery series.

Mid 2014 Jamela’s Flash Fiction and Short Stories volume will be published.

Revenge is coming in the fall of 2014.

That is all I am aware of at the moment. However, I generally release at least 1-2 flash fiction pieces a month, as well as a short story or two. All of these are under Ms. J.

Next year, No Swerving, the sequel to Stay In Your Lane published by our company, will be out during the late spring or early summer.

Sounds like you'll be busy! Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Jamela. Best of luck with your future projects.

About the Author

Jamela, who also writes under the names Ms. J and L. J. Thomas, has been writing for 30 years. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her musician/videographer husband, who calls her a "lover of words". She reads almost anything and writes mainly fiction. She dabbles in poetry, prose, and other nonfiction works. She has been published in regional magazines and newsletters.

Jamela has several collections of short stories, which include And I Trusted You, What Is This World Coming To?, and The Run Trilogy. She also has a few standalone short stories and flash fiction pieces: Quickie, Cruel Intentions, Your Love, and Family Gathering. She is the co-author of the Trill Blood series.

She enjoys, reading, singing and obviously, writing. Jamela believes everything good will take hard work and is worth having, especially if it benefits others.

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"Once Humans: Volume 2 of the Daimones Trilogy" by Massimo Marino

NEW RELEASE

Once Humans:
Volume 2 of Daimones Trilogy

by Massimo Marino

This is the second in my special feature on Massimo Marino. Today we take a look at Once Humans, the second book in the Daimones Trilogy. You can also read my blog post on Daimones, the first book in the trilogy. The last book in the trilogy is in the works.

Description

Mankind is undergoing rebirth, the new arrivals closely watched by the Selected: the transgenic beings created by the Moîrai. The new communities thrive with the aliens' support and peace and security reign on Eridu, as the planet Earth is known by the Moîrai and in the galaxy.

But peace and security of the cradle are suddenly shattered by acts of sabotage set to disrupt the fragile balance of the fledgling communities.

From the coldest climes to the deepest ocean floors, a cosmic conspiracy full of betrayal and fear is being hatched with the hope of pushing the world perilously close to the brink of self-destruction.

It is up to Dan Amenta to journey through dark and deadly alleys--even into the depths of the planet - to unlock the shadowy logic of alien minds.

Excerpt

Memories

From Dan Amenta’s Journal

We had the perfect life in the French-Swiss countryside until that mysterious windstorm in February. No one realized anything unusual has happened, but the next morning, while driving Annah, my daughter, to school, I discovered that vehicles littered the highway, with their dead occupants still inside.

Returning home, no one answered the phone at any of the emergency departments nor could I or my wife, Mary, reach our relatives and friends. Checking on the neighbors, I found them dead.

We soon realized we might be the only survivors of a global catastrophe. We stocked up on emergency supplies, turned the house into a stronghold, and collected food and medicines. The Internet still worked so I launched a large, online campaign to find other survivors with the hope of learning more about what we were facing. While waiting for any response at all, I managed to befriend some neighborhood dogs and we armed ourselves with survival gear.

At first, it felt weird and disturbing to go into stores and take things without paying but, of course, there was no one to pay. The whole world had become a ghost town.

At home, to keep a sense of normalcy, we went by the calendar and home-schooled Annah. After lessons and on weekends, we trained the dogs, practiced shooting with the arsenal I had gathered, and patrolled the surrounding area to nurture the hope of finding others alive.

More changes came as the months went by and our lives took some turns we couldn’t have predicted in our wildest dreams. Yet, now, it became a case of survival and adapting to what would come our way.

Finally, we discovered others had also survived and that some strange entities were behind the human extermination.

We met Laura, and her presence made us question what was right and wrong in our new existence. Mary chose to support Laura's infatuation with me rather than chasing her away and possibly condemning Annah to an isolated life, waiting alone for her own death. We became a multi-partner family and Laura became pregnant to give birth to our daughter, Hope.

Those behind the extermination of humans manifested themselves to me, and my family experienced the horror of the first encounter. I learned from the aliens—the Moîrai Alaston, Mênis, and Algea—what the extermination entailed: the genetic transformation of a small group of people, the Selected, and a planned process for the creation of a new race with others survivors spared in the culling.

Through the Palladium, an alien artifact that modified us genetically and provided the Selected with a means of direct communication, I recovered the lost memory of the frightening history of mankind; a disturbing revelation I could’ve never envisioned.

Yes, I’m one of the Selected on the planet and I’m charged with the reconstruction of the race of man. Mary became the mother of my first transgenic baby and, together with Laura, we settled with the first survivors we met beside Laura: Jean-Claude and Liliana, Camille and Sarah, and others who joined us in the medieval city of Civita, Italy.

The communities of spared ones, each led by at least one of us Selected, grew under the benevolent eyes of the Moîrai. The aliens instructed the survivors thanks to the Palladiums and we all developed technical skills that were crucial in the initial months and years.

The final events brought some closure about the catastrophe to everyone... but also laid a heavy burden and responsibility on the Selected and myself.

⁂

We kept in touch with other communities and the Moîrai, the humanoid glowing aliens who culled the race of men with their twisted salvation plan. They became a constant presence although they tried not to become an intrusive one.

Early during the first year, another Selected, Marina, and her rescued people joined us in Civita; other spared ones found our community, too. They said they followed the Palladium’s beams, visible from afar. People still feared the future, the uncertainty, and the way the Selected had been changed scared many of the spared ones. We knew people thought of us as aliens—the same as the Moîrai—and suspicion took hold in the minds of those who refused to join us. They were suspicious...we are different...though, in many respects, we are all still the same.

We couldn’t verify the actual number of survivors and we had no way to tell whether only ten million spared ones lived on Eridu, as we called Earth. Communities founded by the Selected received support from the Moîrai and they allowed each community to become self-sufficient. Things looked promising and were moving along, so why did I have the impression the Moîrai pursued other goals than just helping us to settle in only a few years? At times, they showed urgency in their manners I couldn’t explain.

Book Trailer

Review

By Ida Jansson

I absolutely loved Daimones, and have looked so much forward to reading this sequel. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed this book so much, it is packed with action, and there was never a boring moment. It is very interesting to see how the main character, Dan has evolved and continues to evolve throughout this book. If you, like me, love the post-apocalyptic/dystopian/sci-fi genre, this book is an absolute must! And, I think the Daimones Trilogy would make an amazing movie some day!

About the Author

Massimo Marino comes from a scientist background: He spent years at CERN and The Lawrence Berkeley Lab followed by lead positions with Apple, Inc. and the World Economic Forum. He is also partner in a new startup in Geneva for smartphone applications: TAKEALL SA. Massimo currently lives in France and crosses the border with Switzerland multiple times daily, although he is no smuggler.

Daimones is the first volume of the Daimones Trilogy and is based on personal experience and facts with an added "what if" to provide an explanation to current and past events. It is his first novel.

Daimones is the recipient of the 2012 Paranormal Romance Guild Award Reviewers' Choice in Science Fiction, and the Seal of Excellence in Quality Writing from both the Awesome Indies and the indiePENdents.org association.

In September 2013 Daimones won the Hall of Fame - Best in Science Fiction Award, shortlisted by the Quality Reads UK Book Club.

The second volume, Once Humans, starts seven years after the events narrated in Daimones. The Communities led by the Selected are about to thrive and peace and security reigns on Eridu ... not for long.

He also writes short chilling, twisted, horror stories, including Stranded Love.

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