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Monday 15 May 2017

Book Blast & Giveaway - The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2017/04/nerd-blast-guns-above-by-robyn-bennis.html


The Guns Above
Series: Signal Airship (Book 1)
Author: Robyn Bennis
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (May 2, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765388766
ISBN-13: 978-0765388766

Book Description:
The nation of Garnia has been at war for as long as Auxiliary Lieutenant Josette Dupris can remember – this time against neighboring Vinzhalia. Garnia’s Air Signal Corp stands out as the favored martial child of the King. But though it’s co-ed, women on-board are only allowed “auxiliary” crew positions and are banned from combat. In extenuating circumstances, Josette saves her airship in the heat of battle. She is rewarded with the Mistral, becoming Garnia’s first female captain.

She wants the job – just not the political flak attached. On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat – a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble. He’s also been assigned to her ship to catalog her every moment of weakness and indecision. When the Vins make an unprecedented military move that could turn the tide of the war, can Josette deal with Bernat, rally her crew, and survive long enough to prove herself to the top brass?

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Praise for THE GUNS ABOVE
“Steampunky navy-in-the-air military tale full of sass and terrific characters. Great storytelling. Loved it.” ―Patricia Briggs

“The Guns Above is a sharp, witty Ruritanian adventure full of flintlock rifles, plumed shakos, brass buttons... and airships! Taking place in an alternate mid-nineteenth-century Europe where dirigibles ply the smoky air over battlefields and women have been grudgingly admitted to the air corps,The Guns Above takes a clear-eyed, even cynical view of the 'glories' of war, complete with blood, shit, shattered limbs, and petty squabbles among the nobility. The aerial combat is gut-clenchingly realistic, the two viewpoint characters are well-drawn and as different as can be, and the action never stops. Hard women learn compassion, soft men learn bravery, and the fate of a nation depends on one rickety airship and its stalwart crew. A winner!”―David D. Levine, author of Arabella of Mars

“An engaging gunpowder adventure with a helping of witty Noel Coward dialogue and a touch of Joseph Heller.” ―Tina Connolly, Nebula Award-nominated author of Ironskin

“Wonderfully adventurous and laudably detailed. Bennis paints airship battles so clearly you'd swear they were from memory.” ―Becky Chambers, author of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“Buckle in. The crew of the Mistral will take readers on adventures they won’t soon forget.” ―Pip Ballantine, author of The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series

“Hold on to your goggles, Bennis' The Guns Above is a nonstop ride.” ―Suzanne Lazear, author of The Aether Chronicles Series

“A fast-paced military fantasy, full of colourful characters and quirky humour that had me laughing throughout. Every fan of airships should read this.” ―Marc Turner, author of Dragon Hunters

“Bennis writes a pleasing mix of banter and gritty battle scenes, combining both the adrenaline rush of combat and its horrifying results, and never indulging in too-sudden social victories that might cheapen the longstruggle against embedded prejudice.”― Publishers Weekly


EXCERPT

JOSETTE DUPRE WOKE atop a bleak and stony hill, her head throbbing, her uniform soaked in blood, and the thunder of the cannons still echoing in her ears. Incandescent embers danced above her, swarming past her body and disappearing into the oily smoke all around.

Her only living companion was a carrion crow that stood atop her boot. She tried to kick it off, but lacked the strength for even that trifling movement. The crow held firm, staring back at her with little black eyes that reflected the flaming wreck of the airship Osprey. She had no memory of her escape from the stricken ship, but she must have gotten out somehow. If she were still inside, she would be on fire, and she was reasonably convinced that this was not the case.

From somewhere down the hill came the sounds of hoofbeats and musketry. The musket fire was sparse—not the crisp, hearty bang of a fusillade, or even the rolling crackle of skirmishers. Rather, these were the sounds of a rout; of an army not merely defeated but shattered, its remnants a panicked mob fleeing from pursuing horsemen. But which army had been routed? Hers or the enemy’s?

At that moment, she couldn’t recall who was winning when Osprey went down. She remembered the crash, and the hostile soldiers who swarmed over Osprey’s railing. She remembered commanding the crew to burn the ship. But after that, there was a most curious gap in her memory, beginning from the moment a skirmisher cracked the butt of his rifle into her skull.

Now that she thought of it, she couldn’t even recall what enemy they were fighting. Was it Brandheim or Vinzhalia? But this couldn’t be Brandheim—it wasn’t cold enough. Yes, yes. Brandheim was last year’s war. This year’s was Vinzhalia, which meant the battle had been against the Vins.

But who the hell had won the damn thing?

She had to work it out quickly. Scavengers from the victorious army were already approaching. She couldn’t see them through the smoke, but she could hear their boots clomping on the rocky earth, their bayonets slicing open pockets and packs, and the gurgling cries of wounded men who were too addled or stupid to play dead.

They chatted while looting, but Josette couldn’t discern their language. By the sound of it, this regiment had been drawn from some border county and spoke a dialect neither quite Garnian nor Vinzhalian. She did her best to place it, but she had no ear for that sort of thing.

They came so close that she could see their silhouettes, like shades lurking in the gloom. She closed her eyes, for she couldn’t hold them open in this stinging smoke, but now she couldn’t see their uniforms. Moreover, she was only delaying the inevitable, consigning herself by inaction to a lingering death on this miserable hill.

Footsteps approached and the crow took flight. Above her, a young man spoke. She could barely make out his mutt dialect, but he seemed to be lamenting the waste of a woman killed in battle. This sentimentality did not stop him from kneeling down and rifling through Josette’s pockets. Finding nothing of value, he drew a knife, cut away her flight harness, and sliced open all the hems and folds in her uniform where a soldier’s wealth might be hidden.

She stayed limp through it all, even when an exploratory hand groped under her waistcoat and lingered there far longer than was required to check for coins. Her resolve wavered only when she heard the pliers click together. She’d heard that a good set of teeth could fetch as much as five liras, and now lamented the lack of decay in hers. Could she stay still, stay quiet, while her teeth were being yanked out one by one? How many would he take? How long would she have to endure it? Perhaps it was better to cry out now and risk the bayonet.

And then she heard the airship above. By its sound, she judged it a light semi-rigid with six airscrews, a Deacon steamjack engine, and Merle reduction gearing. That made it an N3-class scout—probably Captain Ravi Salicar’s ship, the Sparrowhawk. And since the fusiliers weren’t alarmed by its presence above them, they were surely Garnian as well.

Her eyes shot open and she called out, “Stop!”

The Garnian fusilier froze with his pliers an inch from her mouth. Another man came to help, and together they pulled Josette to her feet. As she rose, the throbbing in her head turned into a sucking, hollow feeling. Her vision filled with stars, and the world went black.

Copyright © 2017 by Robyn Bennis. Excerpt content taken from HERE.



About the Author
Robyn Bennis is a scientist living in Mountain View, California, where she works in biotech but dreams of airships. She has done research and development involving human gene expression, neural connectomics, cancer diagnostics, rapid flu testing, gene synthesis, genome sequencing, being so preoccupied with whether she could that she never stopped to think if she should, and systems integration.

Her apartment is within sight of Hangar One at Moffett Airfield, which was once the West Coast home to one of America's largest airships, the USS Macon.

Her debut novel, The Guns Above, comes out in May 2017.

Photo Content from Robyn Bennis.

Author Links:


***GIVEAWAY***


Book Blast Organised by:
http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/

Sunday 14 May 2017

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - It Started With Goodbye by Christina June

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2017/03/it-started-with-goodbye-by-christina.html


It Started With Goodbye
Author: Christina June

Book Description:
Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.

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Blog Tour Excerpt - On the Edge of Death by Ciara Ballintyne



On the Edge of Death
Author: Ciara Ballintyne
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Date Published: 22 April 2017
Publisher: Evolved publishing

Book Description:
All the Left Hand of Death wants is something to call her own, but is the price too high?

Ellaeva, the fated avatar of the death goddess, is desperate to track down her missing family but the trail is decades old. Instead, she discovers her battered and bloodied sister priestesses driven across the Jerreki border on pain of death. Ellaeva must turn aside from her personal quest to investigate the murders, only to find her parents have been taken into the heart of the conflict.

Lyram Aharris, favoured son of the royal line of Ahlleyn, is the only living person she trusts to help her infiltrate the enemy stronghold and uproot the horror they find there, but their chequered past threatens the mission. Accompanying him is his crown prince, the one man Lyram wants dead above all others.

Now Ellaeva must face down the darkness in her soul before a dark god is brought into the world.

At the boundary of life and death, all oaths will be tested.

Pre-Order Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ iTunes

Promo Blitz - A Serenade to Die For by Janet Fogg and David Jackson




A Serenade to Die For
Author: Janet Fogg and David Jackson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Date Published: April 2017

Book Description:
On the verge of her long-sought career breakthrough, singer Isbel Vargas has just completed the performance of a lifetime when a kidnapper demands a ransom for her father. Thanks to his car theft and antiquities operation, her father will be arrested if she involves the Acapulco police. Who can she turn to?

Isbel's ex-boyfriend, Cane Mullins, is once again south of the border, purportedly tracking down his beloved Camaro, a vintage street rod stolen years before by her father. Cane gets more than he bargains for, though, when he again crosses paths with the exquisite singer. Chased at high speed through the Sierra Madres, the former lovers search for Isbel's father and a priceless sword he has hidden away, the sole surviving Aztec maquahuitl, while sparks fly and passion reignites. But can Isbel trust Cane again...with her heart?

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34927739-a-serenade-to-die-for?ac=1&from_search=true

Cover Reveal - Ever After by Aya Ling



 
Ever After
(Unfinished Fairy Tale Series, #3)
Author: Aya Ling
Publication Date: May 20th, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Saturday 13 May 2017

Book Blast & Giveaway - Forging a President by William Hazelgrove

Forging a President: How the Wild West Created Teddy Roosevelt
Author:
William Hazelgrove

Book Description:

“There are few sensations I prefer to that of galloping over these rolling limitless prairies, with rifle in hand, or winding my way among the barren, fantastic and grimly picturesque deserts of the so-called Bad Lands.” —Theodore Roosevelt

He was born a city boy in Manhattan; but it wasn’t until he lived as a cattle rancher and deputy sheriff in the wild country of the Dakota Territory that Theodore Roosevelt became the man who would be president. “I have always said I would not have been president had it not been for my experience in North Dakota,” Roosevelt later wrote. It was in the “grim fairyland” of the Bad Lands that Roosevelt became acquainted with the ways of cowboys, Native Americans, trappers, thieves, and wild creatures–and it was there that his spirit was forged and tested.

In Forging a President, author William Hazelgrove uses Roosevelt’s own reflections to immerse readers in the formative seasons that America’s twenty-sixth president spent in “the broken country” of the Wild West.


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CBY'S Saturday Current Reads - Into a Blue Moon by R.A. Desilets


 MY SATURDAY CURRENT READS IS:


Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Release Date: May 20th, 2016

Book Description:
 
When Effy stumbles down the rabbit hole, she discovers the wondrous fairy tale land of East Valley in chaos. Death and insanity reign after the release of the deadly blue moon curse. Teaming up with the only sane people left—Jack the giant killer, Hansel, and Cat from Cheshire—they traverse East Valley, desperately searching for an answer. They know Effy’s the key to unraveling the curse, but everyone who remembers how to break the curse is… well, cursed. The murderous mob has Effy in their crosshairs. With Snow, Red, Rapunzel, Gretel, and Pinocchio on the group’s trail, Effy isn’t sure any of them will make it out alive.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Friday 12 May 2017

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - Sonora and the Eye of the Titans by T.S. Hall




Sonora and the Eye of the Titans
Author:
T.S. Hall
Publication Date: January 14th, 2017
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Description:
The King is dead, and the capital city of Titanis has fallen. The world of Sonora is at war, and the only hope against the onslaught of the Titan army lies with the last royal descendant of Zeus, who is being covertly sheltered on Earth in the secluded mountain town of Sandy, Oregon.

Allora is a shy, intelligent sixteen-year-old, trying to get through the gauntlet of high school while coming to terms with her otherworldly origins. After getting into a fight at soccer tryouts, Allora’s emotions boil over, and her hands suddenly burst into flames. She has harnessed the power of hadrons at the highest level, but at extreme cost. The magical outburst projects an energy signature that is detected by a group of assassins tasked with killing Sonoran rebels.

To survive, Allora, Katie, Dax, and Tanner must find a powerful ancient artifact known as the Eye of the Titans. With the help of a guardian known as Sasquatch, they will have to fight off creatures, solve complex riddles, and navigate magical caverns, all while enduring advanced calculus, jealous girlfriends, and prom.

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30968572-sonora-and-the-eye-of-the-titans

Promo Blitz - Molly Bell and the Wishing Well by Bridget Geraghty



Molly Bell and the Wishing Well
Author: Bridget Geraghty
Genre: Middle Grade
Date Published: December 2016

Book Description:
Molly Bell is an eleven-year old girl who used to be a whimsical, sporty type of a child with a zest for living. All that has been turned upside down by the untimely death of her cherished mother two years ago. To make matters worse, her father is getting remarried to a high-maintenance beauty that Molly seemingly has nothing in common with, and she comes with an annoying six-year old son, Henry, who finds a way to wreck everything in his path.

Molly can't find anything about her new circumstances to be excited about, until her Aunt Joan tells her about the wishing well at Molly's grandparents' farm. According to Aunt Joan, every wish she ever made there came true. And it just so happens that Molly and Henry will be staying at the farm for a week while their parents are on their honeymoon. Molly is convinced if she could just find that wishing well, she could wish for her mom to come back to life and everything will be okay again.

But Molly is in for a few surprises, and more that a few hard lessons about being careful what you wish for when the consequences of Molly's selfish desires wreak havoc on her entire family. Can Molly make things right again through the wishing well? Or will she need to find it within herself to bring back the joy in her life that has been missing all this time?

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33667464-molly-bell-and-the-wishing-well?ac=1&from_search=true

4 Year Blogoversary Giveaway


FOUR TODAY
WOO HOO!!!


Thank you to all who have stuck around. I can't believe CBY is still running.

It's been an amazing year. As a thank you, here's a giveaway just for you.

Here's to another great year!

***Giveaway***

My giveaway is for a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Ends May 19th (midnight GMT).

Open internationally.

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. The winner will be posted on this page after the winner responds. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.


Thursday 11 May 2017

Blog Tour Promo & Giveaway - The Runes of Issalia series by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2017/03/blog-tour-sign-up-runes-of-issalia.html


The Buried Symbol
(The Runes of Issalia #1)
Author:
Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: May 5th, 2016
Black Rose Writing

Book Description:

Discover a lost magic, long buried and forgotten…

Without a rune marking his role in society, Brock is doomed to an existence below the lowest rung of the social ladder. Unwilling to accept his fate, the teen risks his life to obtain a fake rune that marks him as a member of the Empire's ruling class. He then embarks on a quest to join an institution where the Empire’s future leaders are trained.

As a student of the Academy, he soon uncovers a chain of secrets kept hidden for centuries, secrets that expose cracks in the foundation of Empire society. Among his discoveries is a powerful magic, long buried and forgotten.

Brock’s compassion and sense of justice are seeds that sprout tight friendships and a blossoming romance. An unwillingness to be bullied earns him a dangerous enemy, becoming a feud that escalates to a climactic showdown.

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29910761-the-buried-symbol

Promo Blitz - The Knowing by David Graham



The Knowing
Author: David Graham
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Horror
Date Published: March 2017

Book Description:
United by destiny, they must stand together to face an ancient evil.....

Ceri Edwards and two school friends lift the lid on an ancient book of recipes belonging to Betty Williams, a volunteer at the local hospital in Pontypridd, South Wales. Two Kansas City cops step off a flight at London Heathrow and one of them falls to the ground with a painful conviction that there's something evil in the air.

United in their destinies, Ceri and the police officers are drawn into a world where prophecies are pitted against invisible forces planning to raze London to the ground and bring down the Royal Family.

It all rests with Dai Williams, recently knighted MI5 agent and reluctant hero, to bring some order to the improbable events and to ensure that afternoon tea at The Ritz continues for another hundred years.

A great cross between Kim Newman and Ben Aaranovitch and a thrill for any fan of contemporary urban horror.

Available on NetGalley until May 15th at http://netgal.ly/TVAZfs

Buy Links:

Wednesday 10 May 2017

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Unseen by Jacob Devlin

The Unseen
(Order of the Bell #2)
Author: Jacob Devlin
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication Date: May 9th, 2017
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Description:
Crescenzo and his friends may have survived their confounding journey to the enchanted realms of Florindale, but now they find themselves fighting for their sanity and lives while stuck on the other side of the very mirror they set out to destroy.

With their families trapped by a former ally with a crippling fear of the queen, Enzo, Rosana, and Zack must play a deadly game in Wonderland, where shadows are on the move, kings are at war, and one of them wants Rosana dead.

As darkness hovers over the world, the friends must lean on each other and stop the King of Hearts from following through on Avoria’s orders: Break them.

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31741322-the-unseen?ac=1&from_search=true

Book Blast & Giveaway - Ascended by Maggie Mae Gallagher

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-blast-ascended-by-maggie-mae.html


Ascended
Author: Maggie Mae Gallagher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Book Description:
War. It’s here. The last war of mankind. The winner takes Earth as its prize.

My name is Alana Devereaux. I am an elite Cantati Forces Lieutenant from Earth’s desolate future. I was sent back through time to save your world. My mission to stop the Mutari faltered. Demons infiltrated our world when the walls between Earth and Infernus fell. Millions died in the first volleys.

The Mutari changed me on an elemental level and my new powers scare the bloody daylights out of me. Formorian Hunters are closing in on my trail with a singular goal, to enact the death warrant placed on my head by their Queen. Now I am running for my life, on a quest to discover a way to kill an immortal on a power trip, stuck between mortal enemies, and everyone else wants me dead.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ B&N

Tuesday 9 May 2017

BOOK REVIEW: We Thought We Were Invincible by Michelle Lynn

We Thought We Were Invincible
Author: Michelle Lynn
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: February 8th, 2017
Publisher: Creativia

Book Description:
California "Callie" McCoy feels most alive when her feet are planted firmly on her surfboard on a big swell. And one day, she dreams of riding that wave out of her small town. Away from everyone.

Her plan is simple: graduate high school. With Callie's best friend gone away to college, she plans on spending her senior year skating by. She isn't looking for friends, and especially not for love - all she needs are her waves and her twin brother. Even if he comes with an annoying best friend, Jamie Daniels, who she can't stand.

Jamie is a care-free, easy-going surfer who has everything. On the surface, his life appears perfect, but reality is far from it. He has his share of secrets, including one that burns deeper than any other. It's a good thing Callie hates him because if she didn't, Jamie knows there's no way he'd be able to stay away.

And then, one night, everything changes. And nothing will ever be the same.

WARNING! Book one of the two part Invincible series is a full length book with heavy themes, lots of emotion, and a story that will make you look deep. Be prepared to laugh, to be weighed down with anger, to fall in love. And as always - make sure to have plenty of tissues.

Don't read this book if all you're looking for is a fantasy. Only turn the page if you are ready to see the real world and deal with what it means to be both broken and strong.

Buy Links:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34211216-we-thought-we-were-invincible


MY REVIEW

This was a solid start to what could and what I hope will be an intriguing series. I really loved the opening chapters. The story took off at a quick pace and got right down to business - no setting the scene with excessive backstory - which I really liked. We meet California McCoy, Callie for short, who can't wait to get through her senior year at Gulf City High, even though she has no idea what she wants to do after graduation. As a matter of fact, the only thing on Callie's mind is hitting the waves on her surfboard and leaving the weight of the world behind her. Aside from her twin brother, Colby, her aunt, Kat, and her best friend, Jayden, Callie doesn't have much of a social life, so when Jayden goes off to college, she finds herself becoming close to his troublesome brother, Jamie Daniels, who also happens to be her brothers best friend. Tall, dark and brooding, Jamie might just be the distraction Callie has longed for since the death of her mother. But, they have to try and get along first.

We Thought We Were Invincible was definitely an enjoyable story for the most part. I especially liked how distinct the characters were. It was easy to remember each and every one of them. Good use of dialogue that made me laugh out loud at times. I loved the banter between Callie and Jamie, though I still didn't get why she disliked him so much. There were never any concrete reasons given, and apart from him mocking her at times, her attitude towards him wasn't justified. Even Jamie had no idea why she detested him. Still, I liked these two characters. Not sure I was convinced by their chemistry, but as individual characters they were well portrayed.

There's a lot that goes on in this book, from the budding love story between Callie and Jamie to Callie trying to overcome the loss of her dear mother. I don't mind a story with many layers, but the subplots have to be well connected, which wasn't always the case with this book. The transition between events weren't always smooth. At times, the book felt as though it contained many stories, an anthology of sorts, as opposed to one whole story. One minute you're focused on the rollercoaster relationship between Jamie and Callie, the next you're thinking about who Callie's dad could be, then you find yourself facing a tragedy that sees lives lost. At times, there were no build-up to upcoming events or any indication whatsoever of what could potentially be around the corner, so when these events cropped up, I found it jarring, which made me disconnect from the story, oftentimes wondering what the actual core of the story was.

Yes, Callie was a fun character, but I found myself not really caring much about her journey - well, she didn't seem to care much herself. Having no direct goal or direction, it became a point where her story seemed less significant. She didn't have much of a drive, and largely because of this, the story seemed repetitive, particularly by the time you get midway into the story. We experience the same events over and over again. It became a little tiresome and a little less enjoyable. The story felt a little rushed about three quarters of the way through, spanning a good decade by the time it ended - an ending which was an unexpected surprise. I hadn't expected this cliffhanger, and it did leave me pondering. Let's just say I'm curious as to how the second book will unfold.

Overall, this was a good start to the series.

VERDICT


Award: Silver
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Source: Author

Monday 8 May 2017

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Breaker & the Sun by Lauren Nicolle Taylor



 
Breaker & the Sun
(Paper Stars #2)
Author: Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Genres: Historical, Young Adult 

Book Description:
Times means nothing. It’s just the sun and moon changing places. 

New from Lauren Nicolle Taylor, the best-selling author of Nora and Kettle, comes a fresh take on a classic tale.

Breaker Van Winkle is a recently returned Vietnam vet, struggling with PTSD and the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life with his mother. Sunny is a high-achieving eighteen-year-old Chinese-French immigrant who fled Vietnam during the war. Sunny is usually as cheerful as her name implies, but she has her struggles too. Haunted by violent memories of the bombing that killed her parents, and chafing under the rule of her eccentric grandmother, she finds solace deep in the Catskills, at a place she calls the Ugly Tree.

When Breaker stumbles upon Sunny and the Ugly Tree, things start to change. They are drawn to each other, and feel called to the tree. As they spend more time together and their relationship deepens, they notice that their time at the tree is becoming twisted somehow. Sunny’s mind yawns and her ambitions begin to slip away. Breaker feels safe and carefree, his memories finally burying themselves in the distant past. They are being lulled toward a tempting, peaceful sleep—but there is a cost to this magical serenity, and it may be more than either of them can bear…

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27258695-breaker-the-sun





EXCERPT

ONE GOOD MEMORY
BREAKER

An older man in full uniform approaches us, looking stern and judgmental. He frowns at Tien, and I feel like I want to stand and defend him. Tien stands and salutes the older man, whose crinkly face cracks into a smile. “No need to stand on ceremony here, Tien,” he says gruffly, ruffling his spiky black hair. Then he looks at me. “Don’t let his looks fool you! Tien will take care of you. He’s one of the good guys.”

I frown then. Not sure how to take that. Tien doesn’t seem to mind though.

When the old guy is gone, I nudge Tien. “Are you cool with that? I mean, shit, this must be a little awkward for you sometimes,” I mutter, watching all the white men strolling between groups, their uniforms in varying states of spit and polish.

He shrugs. “It was at first. And yeah, looking like I do, I have to work harder at getting some people to accept me, trust me, but once you know me, well…” He gulps down the rest of his coffee and crushes the cup in his hand. “You can’t help but love me!”

It doesn’t seem fair that he has to work harder. “Doesn’t seem right, man,” I say, shaking my head.

Tien knocks my leg with his knee. “Nope, it isn’t. But what you just said. That right there is enough of a reason to keep trying. Things will change. Name by name. Face by face. I like you already, Breaker!” He’s intoxicatingly hopeful.

I run a hand through my hair. Who would have thought I’d be on this side of the argument?

Tien knocks my knee again. His laugh is full of light. Not sunshine exactly. More like the light from a cluster of stars. It sparkles with magic.

Heart steady. A smile, tinted green, but a smile just the same.

The sun hits the sand, and it sparkles. Palm trees bristle in the warm breeze. If I squint, if I look past the stacks of wooden crates piled on the beach, the dirty men draped over them, it looks like a postcard.

I snap that image for later.

Booze is poured into tin cups, and we sip. We wipe our brows of sweat and tell stories, swap the most mundane details of our lives with each other, building something. This foundation we have to rely on.

Kicking my shoes off, I bury my toes in the sand, watching it cascade over my white, shriveled skin. My feet look like they’ve been in a bath for hours.

I’m staring at them when a disk with colored feathers sprouting from it lands at my feet.

I look up into the expectant grin of a kid, about the same age as Red. He beckons me with his hand, asking me to join the game he’s playing with his friends.

Sarge nods an okay.

Towering over these little Vietnamese kids, I jog to where they’re playing. Quickly, I realize the aim of the game is to keep the feathered disk in the air using whatever I can.

The kids are amazing, back-flipping, twisting, slapping at it with their hands and feet. I try to keep up, and they laugh but encourage me to keep trying.

We’re just kids, playing a game.

Our shouting rattles across the waves. We kick and slap at the ball, we laugh when someone falls over, but offer a hand to help them back up.

My smile cracks open my chest as some fear spills out onto the sand to be collected by the sea.

Some of the other guys join us, and we play until it’s too dark to see.

The sun sprays red and orange over the water, and the kid who invited me slaps my back and winks. He hands me the feathered disk and runs away, laughing and shouting at his friends.

Tien taps my back gently. “Breaker. Where’d you go?”

My mouth feels strange, turned up into a smile.

I’d forgotten about that kid. That good memory.

“Sorry. I was just remembering something,” I mutter.

“Must’ve been a good something,” Tien says, pointing at my mouth.

I chuckle. “Yeah, it was.”






About the Author
Lauren Nicolle Taylor lives in the lush Adelaide Hills. The daughter of a Malaysian nuclear physicist and an Australian scientist, she was expected to follow a science career path, attending Adelaide University and completing a Health Science degree with Honours in obstetrics and gynaecology.

She then worked in health research for a short time before having her first child. Due to their extensive health issues, Lauren spent her twenties as a full-time mother/carer to her three children. When her family life settled down, she turned to writing.

She is a 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist and a USA Best Book Awards Finalist.

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