Good Morning,
Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! Today I have another new-to-me
author and book to tell you about! Please allow me to feature on the blog Tracy Auerbach and her book, THE CRYSTAL WAR … Plus a Giveaway! 😊
**TRACY AUERBACH**
**BIO**
Tracy Auerbach is an
author of science fiction and fantasy for teens and adults. As an avid reader
with a vivid imagination, she chose to study film, English, and
education, and went on to teach and write STEM curriculum for the New York
Department of Education. This helped to polish her writing skills and ignite
her passion for science fiction and fantasy.
Her first scholarly article, published in Language Magazine, was about the value of active, creative learning in science.
On the fiction side, Tracy’s work has been featured in the online literary journal Micro-horror, The Writing Disorder fiction anthology, and the “(Dis)ability” short story anthology, in addition to her novels.
When she is not teaching or writing, Tracy is usually reading or spending time with her family. She lives in New York with her husband and sons.
Her first scholarly article, published in Language Magazine, was about the value of active, creative learning in science.
On the fiction side, Tracy’s work has been featured in the online literary journal Micro-horror, The Writing Disorder fiction anthology, and the “(Dis)ability” short story anthology, in addition to her novels.
When she is not teaching or writing, Tracy is usually reading or spending time with her family. She lives in New York with her husband and sons.
To find out more about Ms. Auerbach, please
visit:
**THE CRYSTAL WAR**
Release
Date: April 14, 2020
Publisher:
Parliament House
Series: Fragments #2
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
**BLURB**
The line between human and
monster is not as clear cut as they once thought.
In the weeks since her escape from the hell of the Eastern Fortress, things have grown more complicated for Kai. She cast her lot with her brother’s self-absorbed boyfriend, who controls the Western Army, but she’s been separated from Finn, the soldier who found a place in her heart.
Finn has defaulted to his signature move: he’s run away; afraid of himself, his new feelings for Kai, and all the terrible truths he’s learned.
Tessa is free in the world for the first time, a force to be reckoned with. She’s gone to the far west and the Dome of Artifacts to seek revenge on the system that ruined her life.
The type ‘A’ soldier who was once a friendly boy named Charlie has been restored to factory settings, a weapon for Aric to use.
The Science Council has unleashed new crystal compounds, more toxic and destructive than anything the world has seen. As Kai and her friends struggle with everything that’s been done to them, they will have to find a way to unite and prepare for the fight of their lives.
In the weeks since her escape from the hell of the Eastern Fortress, things have grown more complicated for Kai. She cast her lot with her brother’s self-absorbed boyfriend, who controls the Western Army, but she’s been separated from Finn, the soldier who found a place in her heart.
Finn has defaulted to his signature move: he’s run away; afraid of himself, his new feelings for Kai, and all the terrible truths he’s learned.
Tessa is free in the world for the first time, a force to be reckoned with. She’s gone to the far west and the Dome of Artifacts to seek revenge on the system that ruined her life.
The type ‘A’ soldier who was once a friendly boy named Charlie has been restored to factory settings, a weapon for Aric to use.
The Science Council has unleashed new crystal compounds, more toxic and destructive than anything the world has seen. As Kai and her friends struggle with everything that’s been done to them, they will have to find a way to unite and prepare for the fight of their lives.
**EXCERPT**
Bill’s
boots gouged through the sand as he was dragged from the vehicle that had
stolen him from the safety of his camp; the hands gripping his biceps were huge
and rough. A black scarf had been wrapped over his head, covering his eyes, and
a gag stuffed in his mouth.
The
toes of his leather boots bumped up then down as the sand’s softness was
replaced by cement underfoot. The footsteps of those who dragged him echoed and
it registered; he’d been taken indoors.
Hands
repositioned themselves on his arms as he was slammed backward onto a cold
metal table. Struggling, he tried to yell, but no sound got past the gag. Restraints,
large and cold, closed over his wrists and ankles. He bucked and kicked before
feather-gentle fingers touched his temples, a sensation vastly different from
the rough grip that had previously held him.
The
scarf over his eyes was lifted away to reveal slender fingers. He blinked in
the harsh light, waiting for his blurry vision to focus. When it did, his heart
sunk, and he froze. Struggling had been futile. The woman above him was the
rumored head of the New Resistance.
Bill
stared into the strange, amber eyes of the woman he had heard about. Over the
past few months, whispers had traveled throughout the west; rumors of her
beauty and cruelty, and above all, her power: his small army of Resistance
fighters had been preparing for her imminent attack.
Everything
he had heard about her magnificence was true; golden eyes that sat in a
perfectly structured face; tan and well-defined, but not too sharp to be
feminine. White-blonde hair stood in spikes over her arched brows.
Gunmetal-gray hoops in her ears reflected the light of a small crystal fragment
set into a dome lamp over the table. She was dressed head to toe in utilitarian
black tactical clothing, but he could still tell that her body was a work of
art. He couldn’t guess her height; she seemed tall, with beautifully defined
curves and a tiny waist.
“Stop
staring, prisoner,” she whispered in a melodic voice. “Looking upon me can’t
save you.”
Bill
was in a lab, but he couldn’t see much. The halo of light from the single
crystal above was dim and focused, but beyond the table he where he lay,
details quickly melted into shadows. He could barely make out the hulking
shapes of the men who had dragged him from his guard post; only the beautiful,
terrible woman was clear. He tried to speak, but his lips fought uselessly
against the fabric still in his mouth.
“Do
you wish to say something?” asked the woman.
He
nodded, and she removed the binding from between his dry lips—he licked them
before speaking. “I’ve heard of you,” said Bill, awed. “These past couple of
months, everything’s changed.”
“It
has. I am changing things. And this is just the beginning.”
“Are
you going to make me into one of your slaves?”
“I
must have your absolute loyalty. I’ll accept nothing less.”
Bill
swallowed, feeling ill with the certainty that he wasn’t going to get out of
this, and he saw her smile, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Why me?”
“Why
not?” She blinked momentarily releasing him from the power behind her eyes.
“You’re a good soldier; I’ve done my research. You’re exactly what I’m looking
for right now. You will come and work for me, just as they have.” She made a
sweeping gesture toward the men around them.
“Forgive
me, Miss…”
“Raven.”
“Forgive
me, Miss Raven, but what makes you think you can you ensure my loyalty?”
“It’s
just Raven,” she corrected, her expression unchanging. “And the answer is
simple. It’s all about consumption.”
“Consumption?”
“Yes.
Everyone is a consumer. Press the right button, and anyone’s loyalty can be
controlled. Even yours, soldier.”
“My
name is…”
“Not
important,” she cut him off.
Bill
sighed. He’d had more than enough of being controlled; given over from his
foster home to the Eastern Forces, trained to mine for crystals, months of
being a type ‘B’ soldier on blue compound, only to be stolen in a raid by the
Resistance, and retrained as a guard, led to believe that he was at last
working for a higher cause. And now this.
Raven
gestured to the soldiers standing in shadow, and Bill craned his neck to try
and see what was happening, only to close his eyes, feeling his stomach drop
when one of the men approached, holding up a faintly glowing blue syringe.
So, more of the same, then.
“What’s
his poison?” asked the man with the syringe.
“Primarily
stimulants,” instructed Raven. “Food as a secondary, pre-established
reinforcer.”
The
man leaned closer, and Bill saw by the light of the glowing crystal fragment
that he was young, with a healing but grisly-looking scab that ran the length
of his left cheek, ending near his eye.
Bill
jerked in his restraints, even though he knew it was futile, and gritted his
teeth as the needle pierced the skin of his upper arm. The fire of the compound
made its way through his blood, causing him to sigh in relief. It still felt
good, every time, even after being off it for months now. It had only taken him
a few weeks back at the Eastern Fortress to become addicted to the compound
itself, and months for the Resistance to detox him.
Heart
racing, his stimulant craving spiked. He refused to beg until the Raven girl
held a small vial of pungent-smelling coffee under his nose—then he screamed
with want. The compound created an itch that the right thing could scratch, and
it felt so good.
“Would
you like this?” she asked in a silky, taunting voice.
“Yes,”
he whimpered.
“Open
up, then.”
Bill
opened his mouth, sick with anticipation of the bitter cordial that would bring
relief to his burning blood. Every pump of his heart demanded it. He greedily
swallowed the wetness on his tongue, but it didn’t taste like coffee.
He
opened his eyes and saw that the Raven girl held a vial that was empty but for
a glowing residue.
She’s given me Shine.
Bill
stared at his tormentor. It was too late to spit out the horribly addictive
drug. Gulping with a heedless greed he usually reserved for coffee, he’d
swallowed a good mouthful of it.
Too
much. She had him.
Knowing
that Shine would quickly supersede his moral compass, he tried to hold onto his
terror, his ideals; he tried to retain any part of himself. But as he looked
into her expressionless eyes, he began to feel the drug taking hold. Soon, the
fear faded, along with all thoughts of fleeing. The world shrunk, leaving room
for her alone in his mind. His senses sharpened, overwhelmed by the power of
her presence and the Shine’s euphoria.
The
rest of the world faded away, and nothing else mattered but his new queen.
I will serve this woman forever.
Buy Links
**GIVEAWAY**
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
eBook Copy of THE
CRYSTAL WAR
Thanks so much for joining us today!
HAPPY READING!!!
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