#a.l. davroe

[michaelbaileywriter]

Weekly Update - September 24, 2019

Weekly Update – September 24, 2019

The audiobook version of Well-Behaved Women – Transition is now available! Grab it now on Audible and soon on iTunes! If you’re an existing Audible customer, you can get it here or here, and if you’d like to sign up for Audible, go here.

And the audiobook version of Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes will be dropping before you know it, so catch up now!

If you’re planning to hit the Connecticut…

[parchment-and-petrichor]

This is as good a time to write this review as any, given how much furor Harlequin Teen has received over The Black Witch lately... I read Nexis with full intentions of reading the sequel, Redux in time for its release, but I can't in good conscience read Redux, let alone finish Nexis. Which I feel really terrible about because I received Redux not just in exchange for an honest review from the publisher, but I got it as a granted Wish on NetGalley... If anything, I hope this post raises awareness as to the types of things publishers should be aware of when considering sensitivity reads.

This series has an interesting enough premise. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world (called Evanescence, by the way. I hope that sets the tone...) where humans have let the Earth fall to ruin. The poor are left to rot in the toxic air of the outside world while the elite literally live in their own bubble of ignorance. It's essentially a cheap imitation of The Diabolic. The elite pat themselves on the back for doing a favour to the poor by creating virtual reality video games that allows people to essentially live a second life. (So basically, virtual reality Sims.) Fine. Cool. The author says to just roll with it and let it happen.

So I do.

In amongst this dystopian world is Ellani, who happens to go by 500 different pet names, half of them cringe-worthy. She's a stuck up, bratty teen obsessed with boys and disrespectful to her father, who tries so hard to teach her how the Earth once was and all the terrible things human beings have done to it in their selfishness. I can see where Davroe is going with this. It's heavy-handed, and you expect Ellani to get it at some point and realise she has to do something about it. But nope.

In one ear and out the other.

While her father's busy trying to teach her empathy for the world that once was, she's too preoccupied with begging for plastic surgery for her birthday because she's the only one who hasn't been altered in some way. She also happens to solely accept validation in the form of how many boys notice and fall in love with her. So vapid is she, she's apparently "in love with" the prince, who never gives her the time of day, never said a word to her, and doesn't even know who she is. Not only that, he owns what Davroe is calling Dolls, who are basically slaves he uses to experiment cosmetic surgery upon... If this were, say, The Hunger Games, this would be making all sorts of really intense social commentary on just how corrupt and beauty-obsessed society has become. But no, this, just like everything else, is treated as the norm.

Not only is cosmetic surgery completely normalised in this world, so is assimilation of culture. It's explained early on that black people were completely weeded out of the gene pool. They're literally extinct. At this point, I have to put down my ereader and whisper eugenics to myself, which is never a word I want to associate with books I'm reading unless it's something making important statements against it. This book is not, and in fact, is so blasé, I almost miss when they use the actual word eugenics to explain the way people look so homogenous. And it's not in a "eugenics happened and now the world is fucked up" way. But in a "oh, and also, eugenics... anyway..." way. Casual as you please. As if the reader's just supposed to accept it and move on. Because that's exactly what the characters do...

So, Ellani enters the game, which takes all its world-building from how the world used to be before mankind destroyed it. And for 4.5 seconds, she's taken with how beautiful it is and what a shame that the sky and wildlife and trees and rain are gone. And I think, thank god, maybe she'll be motivated to do something about it in the real world.

But then a boy comes along. And it's instalove, so everything else she was inspired by has instantly been wiped clean from her brain (not literally, but wouldn't that be interesting?) because clearly boys are more important than stopping planetary extinction...

Just when you think I'm done describing the offensive things being so casually name-dropped in this novel, I have one more horrifying tidbit. The big, instigating plot device that gets Ellani into the game in the first place is this big crash which (spoiler alert), kills her father. Fine, you could see it coming from miles away. Alright. But then she loses her legs. And given how poorly Davroe has handled literally everything else in this novel so far, you can maybe see where this is going. Two or so chapters later, she enters the game and discovers she can have her legs back. Well, I was looking forward to seeing a disabled character kick ass in a dystopian world (again, please see The Hunger Games!), but sure, this isn't a horrifying, ableist alternative at all...

I can now glean a couple messages Davroe is leaving with this:

Attention from cute boys is all the validation girls need.

Being beautiful is all girls should aspire to be.

God forbid, if you wind up disabled, you're better off dead.

You know what was a good idea? The Holocaust.

Cool. With that, I have absolutely no interest, or intention of reading the rest of this series. I sincerely hope Entangled Publishing reads this review and strives to do better next time.

The sequel comes out today, guys. PLEASE DON’T READ IT.

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour #Review: REDUX by A.L. Davroe!

Hello and welcome, welcome, welcome! I am so excited that you are here today for my stop on the YA Reads blog tour for Redux (Tricksters, #2) by A.L. Davroe! This series is an absolute favorite of mine, and I am beyond thrilled to be able to tell you how much I love this second book. So without further ado, let’s get started!

About the Book

title: Redux (Tricksters, #2) author: A.L. Davroe publisher: Entangled Teen release date: 21 March 2017 genre: science fiction (ya)

The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city.

To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created.

But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging…life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis.

But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything.

Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered.

Or die trying.

Add to Goodreads: Redux (Tricksters, #2) Purchase the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Entangled Publishing

Other Book(s) in Series:

title: Nexis (Tricksters, #1) author: A.L. Davroe publisher: Entangled Teen release date: 1 December 2015 genre: science fiction (ya)

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

Add to Goodreads: Nexis (Tricksters, #1) Purchase the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Entangled Publishing

About the Author

A.L. (Amanda) Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. She prefers revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. She is the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance) and her YA Sci-Fi novel, Nexis, is coming out with Entangled Publishing  December 1, 2015!

By day, Amanda lives in Connecticut with her two feline hench-creatures and makes cheese.  She’s a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she’s a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  Amanda also wears purple shoes and corsets…Though not always in the same ensemble.  She’s a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, a bit gothic, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.

Connect with Amanda: Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter

My 5-Star Review

I have been a fan of and followed Amanda since before I even read any of her books, strange as that may sound. I somehow found her some years ago when I first started following all the YA book blogs and got deep into reading YA, and I loved her attitude and the fact that she writes speculative fiction, which has always been a favorite of mine. Then I read For Your Heart, her retelling of the Tam Lin story, and I fell in love with her writing. Her ability to move me with her characters and her storytelling made me a fan for life. Then I heard about Nexis and squealed with her when she got a contract with Entangled Teen. And THEN I got to actually read Nexis, and I was 1000% ALL IN! I will read absolutely anything that Amanda writes, and I will support her 100% in any way I can. If you’d like to read my review of Nexis and how much I loved it, you can find it in my blog post for that book’s YA Reads tour. Suffice it to say, it was a 5-star read for me!

Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I heard that Redux was on its way, and I may have begged Melissa at Entangled Teen for a copy :-) Because I was so excited for Redux, and because I loved Nexis so much, I took the time to re-read Nexis before delving into book 2, and I’m so glad I did. (My only regret is that it meant I wasn’t able to post my review for Redux on release day, for which I do apologize to Melissa and Entangled Teen!) Nexis was just as exciting and amazing as the first time I read it, and it remains a 5-star read for me. I was happy to reacquaint myself with the characters and remind myself of some of the details of book 1 that may have slipped my mind. And I couldn’t click over to Redux fast enough the second I finished Nexis! 

We all know that it’s hard to write a second book in a series, at least judging by how lackluster praise typically is for book 2 of a trilogy, say, as compared to books 1 and 3. Well, I promise you that I was not disappointed in any way, shape, or form by the second in the Tricksters series! I knew that Redux had been slightly delayed, and upon reading Amanda’s heartfelt and honest author’s note at the end, I learned it had been difficult for her to write (especially as compared to the writing process for Nexis, which was so much easier). I am so sorry that so much happened during Amanda’s writing process, and that Redux’s story did not come nearly as easily, but WOW am I thrilled that she and her editor decided a second draft was necessary! I honestly believe THIS is the story that needed to be told; anything else would have been wrong for Ella. In Redux, we encounter Ella as we had come to know her in book 1: a strong, independent, loving, opinionated, loyal young woman who hasn’t always had it easy as a Natural in a world full of Custom-borns who alter their bodies with Mods and Alts. She remains this person throughout the trials and tribulations she encounters in Redux, just as she did in Nexis. Of course she grows as a character, but we definitely don’t find ourselves confronted with an Ella that looks nothing like the Ella with whom we originally fell in love.

I was so happy with the road the book takes us down, even as we find Ella and her friends in some harsh and harrowing situations. The pacing was great, and I felt my heart in my throat through much of the read. Like Nexis, Redux is nice and meaty, really exploring and developing characters and situations, and I love that about this series. (There’s not much I hate more in books than a story that is rushed, with underdeveloped characters and storylines. None of that here!) I can’t say enough positive about Ella, as well as about Quentin (who caught my eye in book 1!), Guster, and the rest of the characters. Even the characters I didn’t like, or who had changed for the worse, kept me glued to the page when they were on it. There are definitely some surprises in store for you in Redux, and I give props to any author who can truly surprise me after about 40 years of reading!

I hesitate to say much more because I know something spoilery will slip out, and I definitely don’t want that to happen. The main message I want to leave you with is that this remains a favorite series of mine, and I can’t wait to re-read Nexis and Redux both prior to the release of book 3, whenever we are lucky enough to receive it! I am a huge fan of Amanda’s writing, and I could not recommend this series any more highly (also, do check out For Your Heart, another fantastic story by her). 

Thanks so much to Amanda and Entangled Teen for providing me with an early copy of Redux. Thanks also to YA Reads for letting me take part in this blog tour! I am thrilled to place my stamp of approval on Redux just as I did with Nexis, and I hope - in fact, I’m sure - that you will love the Tricksters series as much as I do!

Rating: 5 beautiful, real, Natural stars!

[dreamersdrivel]

Free Ebooks ~ 3/30

Hello and hi! It’s been a while. 🙂 Here are some currently free ebooks—free at the time of this posting, so hurry.

https://www.amazon.com/TheRealCinderella-BestFriendsForever-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07CH3Q9RQ/ref=zg_bs_3511261011_f_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1QGQP1NQX414EACC43ZEElla’s only friend (and crush) lives on the other side of her phone’s screen. She and Baller929 know everything about…

[plumdwarf]

Review: Nexis

4/5 Stars! #BookReview: Nexis by @aldavroe #amreading #fantasy #sciencefiction #readingcommunity

Title: Nexis (Tricksters #1) Author: A.L. Davroe

Blurb:

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just…

[mobilepubliclibraryteens]

The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city. To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created. But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging…life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis. But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything. Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered. Or die trying.

[starsbooksandtea2023]

Author Spotlight: A.L. Davroe

Author Spotlight: A.L. Davroe

This week’s author: A.L. Davroe. She’s a very friendly lady that I had the fortune to meet at LLS. She’s very intelligent and full of talent. I’m honored to know her and call her a friend. Book Spotlight: Blithe owes everything to Castia. Her health, her power, her position. These gifts come at a price. As Castia’s magic apprentice, Blithe must fulfill the duties of Right Hand to her Hexen…

[paperbackd]

Here’s a masterpost of YA books (and a few crossover MG titles) to be released in March 2017. Check out this month’s new releases below. Feel free to use this as a guide to this month’s releases, but please do not repost it in its entirety elsewhere. If you found this masterpost helpful, a like, reblog, or link back to Paperback’d would be much appreciated!

March 1st

Future Threat (Future Shock #2) by Elizabeth Briggs ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Splinter by Sasha Dawn ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

This Is My Song by Richard Yaxley ✤ Goodreads

Waking in Time by Angie Stanton ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 2nd

The Scarecrow Queen (The Sin-Eater's Daughter #3) by Melinda Salisbury ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 6th

Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 7th

Alone (The Generations Trilogy #3) by Scott Sigler ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Class: The Stone House by A.K. Benedict ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zenter ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Great Pursuit (The Great Hunt #2) by Wendy Higgins ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Proof of Lies (Anastasia Phoenix #1) by Diana Rodriguez Wallach ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Secrets of a Reluctant Princess by Casey Griffin ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands #2) by Alwyn Hamilton ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Ultimatum by K.M. Walton ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Wonderful Feels Like This by Sara Lovestam ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 8th

Driven by MB Mulhall ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 9th

The City Bleeds Gold (Tellus #3) by Lucy Saxon ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Following Ophelia by Sophia Bennett ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Forever Geek (Geek Girl #6) by Holly Smale ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 14th

Bad Blood by Demitria Lunetta ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Boy She Left Behind (Vengeance #2) by Gregg Olsen ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die #4) by Danielle Paige ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Enemy Exposure (The Raven Files #2) by Meghan Rogers ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Freya by Matthew Laurence ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Heartbeats of Wing Jones by Katherine Webber ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Hunted by Meagan Spooner ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Maid of the King's Court by Lucy Worsley ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Project Emergence by Jamie Zakian ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

A Psalm for Lost Girls by Katie Bayerl ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks #2) by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The White Road of the Moon by Rachel Neumeier ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 16th

The Jungle by Pooja Puri ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 20th

The Impossible Story of Olive in Love by Tonya Alexandra ✤ Goodreads

March 21st

Hellworld by Tom Leveen ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Nemesis (Project Nemesis #1) by Brendan Reichs ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Pyromantic (Firebug #2) by Lish McBride ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Redux (Tricksters #2) by A.L. Davroe ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Shadow Run (Kaitan Chronicles #1) by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Ten Miles One Way by Patrick Downes ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

March 27th

Remind Me How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer ✤ Goodreads

March 28th

100 Hours (100 Hours #1) by Rachel Vincent ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Blood Rose Rebellion (Blood Rose Rebellion #1) by Rosalyn Eves ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Hearts and Other Body Parts by Ira Bloom ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Honestly Ben (Openly Straight #2) by Bill Konigsberg ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Just Another Girl by Elizabeth Eulberg ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Night Witches by Kathryn Lasky ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Overturned by Lamar Giles ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

The Silent Invasion (The Change #1) by James Bradley ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

Worthy by Donna Cooner ✤ Goodreads | Amazon

[eccles4il6by]

Nexis by A.L. Davroe ebook epub

Nexis by A.L. Davroe ebook epub

Nexis by A.L. Davroe ebook epub In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more…

[michaelbaileywriter]

Weekly Update - September 24, 2019

Weekly Update – September 24, 2019

MY TIME IS NOW!

Well, it’s Saturday, technically, but close enough.

That’s right, my author day at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire is October 5, and in addition to having copies of all my books available,  I’ll have available an extremely limited special package: buy the entire Well-Behaved Womentrilogy and you’ll receive a free code for the audiobook version on Audible for the low price of $32…

[mysteryshelf]

FRIDAY SF & FANTASY - Redux

Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L. Davroe

Release Date: Dec. 1, 2015

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction

Published by: Entangled Teen

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21480858-nexis

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Nexis-L-Davroe/dp/1633750175?tag=entangpublis-20&link_code=ur2&creative=9325&camp=211189

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nexis-al-davroe/1120919370?cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-je6NUbpObpQ-_-10:1

Entangled Page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/nexis/

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

Redux (Tricksters, #2) by A.L. Davroe

Published by Entangled Teen

Published on March 21st, 2017

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220660-redux?ac=1&from_search=true

https://entangledpublishing.com/redux.html.

The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city.

To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created.

But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging…life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis.

But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything.

Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered.

Or die trying.

I sag to the floor, a shaking mess.

            Slowly, Quentin gathers the rope up once more, coiling it around his arm. Then he’s still for a long minute. I can tell he’s staring at me, waiting. “Elle?”

            I shake my head. “I-I can’t.”

            He crouches down in front of me, meets my haunted eyes. I feel him take up my hands, hold them against his chest. “You’re shaking.”

            Of course I am. I don’t want to die.

            “You can do this,” he whispers.

            Mute now, I shake my head again.

            “Hey.” Shifting both my hands to one of his, he reaches out with the other, stills my head with a palm to my cheek. “Look at me.”

            I do, only because I don’t have a choice. He has me trapped.

            His expression is calm. Serene, like the boy who shot my uncle in the head. I wish I could turn off like that, become cool and calculated and unfeeling. “I will not let you fall. You need to trust me. You need to trust yourself. Stand up.”

            Swallowing hard, I get to shaking legs. I don’t know how I’m going to go down on such unstable things. One is injured as it is.

            “Shoes,” he prompts.

            I slip out of my heels, let the cold stone touch my synthetic skin. It feels strange being on flat feet. I’ve grown up on heels. Without them he seems like a giant as he bends and comes around to my back, putting them into my pack as I stand like an idiot. Seeing that I’m being useless and silly, he bends at my hip and I feel him tugging my skirts. I wince as I hear the tearing noise of him splitting my beautiful dress from hem to seam.

            Four times, like Violet did with hers.

            And then he’s winding the strips around my thighs, his fingers passing in and out like butterfly wings. My legs go from shaking to jelly and I have to hold the wall to keep myself upright.

            When he’s done, he stands in front of me, stares at me, and frowns. After a thought, he unbuttons his jacket and slides it off his shoulders.

            I blink at him, confused.

            “Put it on.”

            I do as I’m told. It’s big on me, stiff in the shoulder from all the dried blood. It smells like him and the weight of it makes me feel like I’m being held. My fingers fumble on the buttons and he steps into my space to help, his knuckles grazing my hitching chest. The warm certainty of his presence disappears for an instant as he bends to retrieve the rope and then he’s back, tying it under my arms.

            When he finishes with the knot, he just sort of goes still, his body close to mine and me wavering against the solid weight of him. His fingers slide from the knot, inch up, flutter along my clavicle, against my neck. One hand slips back behind my neck and into my hair, tugging just slightly, as the other tips up my jaw.

            His breath is warm and minty as he breathes something that seems like relief, and if it’s possible, something about him—his expression, his body—eases me. He stares down, his eyes clear and true, and that melts me into his body and his touch.

            And then he’s kissing me again. And I’m kissing him. It’s just like it was in the aerovator during our escape. That heat, that familiarity. That instant awakening and settling inside of me—like a flock of birds and a lazy pool of molten heat exploding through my veins and muscles at the same time. That feeling like it’s perfect and sound. It’s everything I ever wanted of a kiss from Quentin Cyr before…before…Gus.

            I shove at him, step away from him, gasping. “What are you doing?” I demand. “You can’t keep kissing me, you’re-you’re in love with someone. I heard you tell Carsai.”

            Unapologetic, he grins at me. “Hmm, that’s something to think about, isn’t it?”

            “You’re a cad.”

            He shrugs. “You’re not scared anymore, though, are you?”

            Heaving in confusion, glaring in heat, I growl as I have to admit that no, I’m not scared anymore.

            “I’m not sorry,” he says, voice quiet. “I like kissing you.”

            Gritting my teeth, I march over to the ropes and pass them around myself as I saw Violet and Bastian do before. I shore up my grip on both ends of the rope and I don’t look down. To look down would be to see where I’m going and right now, I don’t want to.

            “Hey,” Quentin calls to me from where he’s standing, lifting the security rope around him as he backs his weight against it. I feel it tug a little against my chest, like he’s drawing me back to him.

            I pause, look at him even though I don’t want to make eye contact.

            “Go easy,” he says, voice like honey. “Just breathe.”

A.L. (Amanda) Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. She prefers revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. She is the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance) and her YA Sci-Fi novel, Nexis, is coming out with Entangled Publishing December 1, 2015!

By day, Amanda lives in Connecticut with her two feline hench-creatures and makes cheese. She’s a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she’s a huge advocate of alternative healing methods. Amanda also wears purple shoes and corsets…Though not always in the same ensemble. She’s a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, a bit gothic, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.

Author Website: www.ALDavroe.com

Author Blog: www.ALDavroe.com

Author Twitter: @ALDavroe

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALDavroeFanPage

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5212441.A_L_Davroe

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/RBlXP

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FRIDAY SF & FANTASY – Redux was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

[sleepsontables]

Promo Post: Redux by A.L. Davroe

Promo Post: Redux by A.L. Davroe

About Book 1: Nexis by A.L. Davroe Series: Tricksters #1 Published by Entangled Teen on December 1st 2015 Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction Add on Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Entangled Publishing In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented,…

[thebookbeacon]

Redux by A.L. Davroe

Redux by A.L. Davroe @ALDavroe #Excerpt #giveaway #amreading #YALit @yaReads

Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L. Davroe     Release Date: Dec. 1, 2015 Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction     Published by: Entangled Teen   In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and…

[entangledteenreads]

Happy Book Birthday to #Redux by A.L. Davroe! #yalit #booknerdigans #booknerd #bookworm #bookish #scfi #amreading

[paperbackd]

Weekly YA Spotlight: A selection of the most anticipated new YA novels released this week (21/03 - 27/03)

Nemesis (Project Nemesis #1) by Brendan Reichs ✤ March 21st

Shadow Run (The Kaitan Chronicles #1) by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller ✤ March 21st

The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato ✤ March 21st

Redux (Tricksters #2) by A.L. Davroe ✤ March 21st

Remind Me How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer ✤ March 27th

Ten Miles One Way by Patrick Downes ✤ March 21st

Check out the rest of this month’s new YA releases here!

[michaelbaileywriter]

Weekly Update - September 17, 2019

Weekly Update – September 17, 2019

If you’re planning to hit the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in a couple of weeks — specifically on October 5 — then I have a deal you might be interested in!

During my author day at CTRF, I’ll have available an extremely limited special package: buy the entire Well-Behaved Womentrilogy and you’ll receive a free code for the audiobook version on Audible for the low price of $32 — a $25 savings…