by 
Book & Author Details:
Publication date: November 14th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Synopsis:
“One life will make the difference.” Macey Holsinger has been hearing that promise her whole life. But it hasn’t saved anyone yet, not even her little brother.
The disease has claimed countless lives in the last hundred years, and the government is working hard to find a cure through human testing. Testing that has killed nearly as many people as the disease.
At sixteen, Macey has better things to think about than saving lives and submitting to any rule other than her parents’. As a budding artist, she has her whole life ahead of her, at least until she faces her own testing.
Questions plague Macey. Questions that make everyone else nervous. How can death be justified with more death?
What’s the point of all this?
Answers evade her until she’s left with only one question: How much will she sacrifice in the name of the cure?
Excerpt:
The disease has claimed countless lives in the last hundred years, and the government is working hard to find a cure through human testing. Testing that has killed nearly as many people as the disease.
At sixteen, Macey has better things to think about than saving lives and submitting to any rule other than her parents’. As a budding artist, she has her whole life ahead of her, at least until she faces her own testing.
Questions plague Macey. Questions that make everyone else nervous. How can death be justified with more death?
What’s the point of all this?
Answers evade her until she’s left with only one question: How much will she sacrifice in the name of the cure?
Excerpt:
“I gladly sacrifice my life for the good of others. One life will make the difference, and that
life could be mine. For this reason, I’m
devoted to finding the cure.” I said the
words out loud, but I wasn’t thinking about them. A couple of squirrels chasing each other held
my attention more securely than the pledge we’d been forced to say since
kindergarten. By tenth grade, the thing
had lost all meaning.
life could be mine. For this reason, I’m
devoted to finding the cure.” I said the
words out loud, but I wasn’t thinking about them. A couple of squirrels chasing each other held
my attention more securely than the pledge we’d been forced to say since
kindergarten. By tenth grade, the thing
had lost all meaning.
I sat back down among the rows of desks, still eyeing
the squirrels. I folded one of my legs
under me and let the other one swing. At
five foot three, I wasn’t the tallest member of my class, but I wasn’t the
shortest either. My violet eyes followed
the dance of the squirrels while I toyed absently with a lock of my jet-black
hair.
the squirrels. I folded one of my legs
under me and let the other one swing. At
five foot three, I wasn’t the tallest member of my class, but I wasn’t the
shortest either. My violet eyes followed
the dance of the squirrels while I toyed absently with a lock of my jet-black
hair.
My teacher was blabbing about our latest reading
assignment, but those dang squirrels were so cute I couldn’t focus on her.
assignment, but those dang squirrels were so cute I couldn’t focus on her.
“Macey?”
I turned to face her.
She was one of the younger members of the faculty, but dressed to try
and fit in. Her loose-fitting floral
print blouse was tucked into her high-waisted navy skirt. She stared at me over half-glasses perched at
the end of her nose. I imagined she
referred to them as spectacles and liked to put the end of them into her mouth
while pondering literary stuff.
She was one of the younger members of the faculty, but dressed to try
and fit in. Her loose-fitting floral
print blouse was tucked into her high-waisted navy skirt. She stared at me over half-glasses perched at
the end of her nose. I imagined she
referred to them as spectacles and liked to put the end of them into her mouth
while pondering literary stuff.
“Hmm?” I asked.
“Care to answer the question?”
I glanced out the window to curse the squirrels, but
they were gone. “Could you repeat the
question?”
they were gone. “Could you repeat the
question?”
She half-smiled as she leaned against the front of her
desk, knowing she’d caught me.
“Certainly. Why do you think
Billy has a stutter?”
desk, knowing she’d caught me.
“Certainly. Why do you think
Billy has a stutter?”
“Oh jeeze, I don’t know. I didn’t understand a single page of this
book, Mrs. Whitehead.” A few snickers
escaped from some of my classmates.
“Hey, guys, don’t throw me under the bus here! I couldn’t have been the only one who didn’t
get anything from this!” A few faces
turned to Mrs. Whitehead and nodded.
“Look, I know this was the shortest thing we’ve read so far, but it was
all moon language to me. Quite frankly,
I hated it and think it was a waste of time.”
I nodded to accentuate my point.
book, Mrs. Whitehead.” A few snickers
escaped from some of my classmates.
“Hey, guys, don’t throw me under the bus here! I couldn’t have been the only one who didn’t
get anything from this!” A few faces
turned to Mrs. Whitehead and nodded.
“Look, I know this was the shortest thing we’ve read so far, but it was
all moon language to me. Quite frankly,
I hated it and think it was a waste of time.”
I nodded to accentuate my point.
A couple of kids clapped, but soon it died down under
Mrs. Whitehead’s unceasing gaze. The
bitter taste of regret worked its way to the back of my throat. It burned a little like a vurp.
Mrs. Whitehead’s unceasing gaze. The
bitter taste of regret worked its way to the back of my throat. It burned a little like a vurp.
Mrs. Whitehead frowned.
“Fair enough. Let’s go over it,
then, and maybe you’ll get more out of it.”
“Fair enough. Let’s go over it,
then, and maybe you’ll get more out of it.”
Even after talking about it for the next hour, I still
didn’t get it. I mean, Mrs. Whitehead
seemed to find Billy Budd very
enlightening, and if all that was in there, great. I didn’t see it. Sometimes I wondered if people overanalyzed a
book. Maybe the writer didn’t really
mean all that stuff, and you saw something that wasn’t meant to be there, ya
know? In this case we’d never know. Melville had been dead over two hundred
years, so asking him wasn’t really an option.
didn’t get it. I mean, Mrs. Whitehead
seemed to find Billy Budd very
enlightening, and if all that was in there, great. I didn’t see it. Sometimes I wondered if people overanalyzed a
book. Maybe the writer didn’t really
mean all that stuff, and you saw something that wasn’t meant to be there, ya
know? In this case we’d never know. Melville had been dead over two hundred
years, so asking him wasn’t really an option.
When the bell rang, I gathered my things quickly,
hoping to escape the classroom without confrontation. With her gaze burning a hole in the back of my
head, I kept my eyes glued to the floor.
I was pretty sure her spectacles magnified her stare, the way the sun’s
heat is more intense through a magnifying glass. I reached up to scratch my scalp, making sure
she hadn’t given me a bald spot. I
rounded the front row of desks and, by some miracle, made it out into the hall
where I disappeared among the sea of bodies.
hoping to escape the classroom without confrontation. With her gaze burning a hole in the back of my
head, I kept my eyes glued to the floor.
I was pretty sure her spectacles magnified her stare, the way the sun’s
heat is more intense through a magnifying glass. I reached up to scratch my scalp, making sure
she hadn’t given me a bald spot. I
rounded the front row of desks and, by some miracle, made it out into the hall
where I disappeared among the sea of bodies.
Once I was a safe distance from Mrs. Whitehead’s room,
I leaned against a row of lockers. One of these days you should really learn to
hold your tongue, I thought. I took
a deep breath, checked the top of my head one more time, and continued on to my
next class: History.
I leaned against a row of lockers. One of these days you should really learn to
hold your tongue, I thought. I took
a deep breath, checked the top of my head one more time, and continued on to my
next class: History.
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Let’s see. What do you want to know about me? I love apocalypse movies like 2012 (which is probably why my first book is sort of apocalyptic), I love to read, I love my fur babies, my husband and my family.
I’m a graphic designer by trade, but hoping to some day be able to write full time.
Dan, my husband, and I are brand new parents and loving life!
As far as writing goes, The Blackout
was my first published novel, but I’ve been writing for quite awhile. I won honorable mention in the 72nd Annual Writer’s Digest Competition for a short story junior year of college, so that was…awhile ago anyway. Although I published a scholarly paper senior year, fiction writing has always been my passion. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
I’m a graphic designer by trade, but hoping to some day be able to write full time.
Dan, my husband, and I are brand new parents and loving life!
As far as writing goes, The Blackout
was my first published novel, but I’ve been writing for quite awhile. I won honorable mention in the 72nd Annual Writer’s Digest Competition for a short story junior year of college, so that was…awhile ago anyway. Although I published a scholarly paper senior year, fiction writing has always been my passion. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Author Links:
Author Talk:
5 Things I Wish I
Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before:
Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before:
5. Everyone and their
mother has an opinion
mother has an opinion
Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has an opinion about your
life, your writing, your approach to publishing, your cover art, your book
layout, your venue, your promotions, and…well, you get the idea. Learn to filter out the ones who are just
being mean because they are jealous, and the ones who are being
constructive. That is quite possibly
your most valuable tool.
life, your writing, your approach to publishing, your cover art, your book
layout, your venue, your promotions, and…well, you get the idea. Learn to filter out the ones who are just
being mean because they are jealous, and the ones who are being
constructive. That is quite possibly
your most valuable tool.
4. Read!
There seems to be a stark division on this subject. Either people feel writers should devour
books like air, or they think you shouldn’t read at all for fear of copying
someone else’s idea. Personally, I think
the latter is complete hogwash. If you
don’t read, how are you supposed to learn and grow as a respectable
writer? You can not only get ideas and
see how other people are writing, but you can learn grammar, vocabulary, and
evolve your style by reading. So, for
heaven’s sake read!
books like air, or they think you shouldn’t read at all for fear of copying
someone else’s idea. Personally, I think
the latter is complete hogwash. If you
don’t read, how are you supposed to learn and grow as a respectable
writer? You can not only get ideas and
see how other people are writing, but you can learn grammar, vocabulary, and
evolve your style by reading. So, for
heaven’s sake read!
3. Write as much as
possible
possible
So, most people will say, “write every day!” but I’m a
realist. I know you can’t write every day. But you should write as much as
possible. The idea behind the sentiment
of “write every day!” is that it’s a priority for those people. Maybe their number one priority. For me, even though it’s not number one on my
list, writing is still a priority for me, so I set goals. Usually weekly goals, like I need to write
5,000 words this week to stay on track.
And, even if I’m not in the midst of writing a first draft, I still try to write, with stuff like this –
blog posts, journal entries, musings etc.
Bottom line here: Whatever you write doesn’t have to be Earth
shattering. It just has to be words on a
page.
realist. I know you can’t write every day. But you should write as much as
possible. The idea behind the sentiment
of “write every day!” is that it’s a priority for those people. Maybe their number one priority. For me, even though it’s not number one on my
list, writing is still a priority for me, so I set goals. Usually weekly goals, like I need to write
5,000 words this week to stay on track.
And, even if I’m not in the midst of writing a first draft, I still try to write, with stuff like this –
blog posts, journal entries, musings etc.
Bottom line here: Whatever you write doesn’t have to be Earth
shattering. It just has to be words on a
page.
2. Never stop
learning
learning
The writing and publishing world is going through a dramatic
change right now. If you are dumb enough
to refuse to evolve with it then I’m done talking to you. There are a tremendous amount of resources
out there, and all you have to do is absorb them. Some of my favorites are Stephen King’s On Writing and David Gaughran’sLet’s Get Visable.
change right now. If you are dumb enough
to refuse to evolve with it then I’m done talking to you. There are a tremendous amount of resources
out there, and all you have to do is absorb them. Some of my favorites are Stephen King’s On Writing and David Gaughran’sLet’s Get Visable.
1. Find what works
for you
for you
I used to be a seat of your pants writer. My first book – The Blackout – was filled with plot holes, changed character names
and major issues when I finished with the first draft. So, for The Cure
, I tried outlining. The first draft went much better. I had fewer changes, fewer mistakes, and in
the end, produced a better book.
However, I was flexible with my outline.
When inspiration struck me, I went with it and ended up writing several
chapters that weren’t included in my outline.
I feel like it was a good marriage of outlining and seat of your pants
writing. And it worked for me. You might be a little more organized than
that, and need to have a 17 page outline before you can even think about writing,
or you might just need to start at it when the mood strikes. That’s fine.
The important thing is to keep trying different things and do what works
for you.
and major issues when I finished with the first draft. So, for The Cure
, I tried outlining. The first draft went much better. I had fewer changes, fewer mistakes, and in
the end, produced a better book.
However, I was flexible with my outline.
When inspiration struck me, I went with it and ended up writing several
chapters that weren’t included in my outline.
I feel like it was a good marriage of outlining and seat of your pants
writing. And it worked for me. You might be a little more organized than
that, and need to have a 17 page outline before you can even think about writing,
or you might just need to start at it when the mood strikes. That’s fine.
The important thing is to keep trying different things and do what works
for you.
Blitz-wide giveaway:
(Open internationally as long as Amazon ships there):
–A Kindle Fire
Great giveaway 🙂