Kimber: An Out of this World Q&A and Giveaway

Haven't we all had enough of reality? Crazy Covid-19. Social distancing making you feel isolated and alone. Who hasn't turned to books to escape the chaos around us? The hard reality though is that sometimes that TBR pile at home finally reaches the bottom of the stack and needs replenishing. The HORROR!!!

I am here to help. Who needs a new book to read? How about something out of this world? In fact, let's leave the whole world behind and venture to another land. With the help of KIMBER, you can do exactly that! What is KIMBER? How about we find out a little more directly from the author, L.K. Hingey.

Q&A WITH L.K. HINGEY

Thank you for joining us to talk about your new book. Tell us what KIMBER: Book One of The Elyrian Chronicles is all about:

L.K. Hingey: KIMBER is a dystopian young adult novel set in the year 2209 that takes readers from the depths of an underground city to the surface of a world scarred by war and ravaged solar winds. Kimber is one of 23 of a brand-new subspecies of humans called Auroras, secretly bred by the government with the genomes of Earth’s most radiation resistant animals. The book follows Kimber on her journey through the wasteland of post-World War III America in search of proof of the inhuman genetic experimentation that could free the Auroreans from a life of lies and servitude.

Sounds fantastic and definitely otherworldly. Who do you think is your audience? Who will love The Elyrian Chronicles?

Hingey: I think KIMBER and the subsequent books in the series to come will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner trilogies. Also, to the fans of the movie Avatar! Anyone who likes suspense, action, romance, immersive worlds, or becoming fiercely attached to characters, should definitely check out this fun new dystopian series!

Those are all amazing books! I'm sure you will hit the mark with plenty of people with it. Can you share where you draw your inspiration from when creating The Elyrian Chronicles?

Hingey: I draw inspiration from the amazing world around us. Life is full of beauty and wonder, love and friendship, and sometimes heartbreak and terror. After my spinal injury and separation from the military, I took five months to backpack the Appalachian Mountains. After years of hardship, it was the first time I could truly let my mind wander. Creativity blossomed as my husky, Colefax and I hiked over 1,800 miles. As we watched spring turn into summer, and summer turn into fall, the idea for KIMBER was born and has stuck with me ever since.

That sounds like an amazing adventure ripe for contemplation. No wonder your found inspiration. Can you tell us a little more about your book? What are some of the underlying themes that readers may pick up on in KIMBER?

Hingey: My favorite novels are the ones that not only have strong character development and immersive scenery but are layered with deeper meaning. I spent countless hours researching the science that is interwoven into Kimber’s story, and then did my best to lace a high degree of scientific plausibility with deeper themes: themes that prod and explore the complex world around us, such as government, social movements, and the institution of religion.

The question all readers will want to know once they read Kimber—What is next in The Elyrian Chronicles series?

Hingey: I am so excited to announce that I have not only begun working on books two and three of The Elyrian Chronicles but have laid out the stories for books one and two of The Elyrian Prequels! CHEYENNE: Book Two of The Elyrian Chronicles, is on schedule to debut around Christmas!

There are more books to come readers!!!! 

Now is the time to grab a copy of the first book and this is the best part. I can get YOU a copy of Kimber! Contest runs until June 28th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L.K. Hingey was born, raised, and enlisted into the U.S. Army out of Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2012 as a private and commercial helicopter pilot with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics, before commissioning as a U.S. Army officer. She has since medically retired from the military and continues the Army lifestyle as an Active Duty spouse. She resides with her husband, Jonathon, who is U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot.

L.K.'s many interests include her dogs, fitness, backpacking, traveling, and writing.

Upcoming works include Books Two and Three of The Elyrian Chronicles, and Books One and Two of The Elyrian Prequels.

KIMBER is available on Amazon and through all major booksellers.

For more information, visit www.lkhingeybooks.com or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

Ever Alice

Ever Alice by H.J. Ramsay, © 2018, Red Rogue Press

Have you read Alice in Wonderland? Who hasn't been swept down the rabbit hole by Lewis Carroll's classic novel written in 1865. Well, you are in for a treat today. This much-loved book has finally got a sequel with the help of H.J. Ramsay. Only 'Ever Alice' is a little darker than Carroll's original version.

When Ramsay reintroduces us to Alice, she is locked in an asylum; put there by her concerned parents. Alice can't stop talking and thinking about the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and everything she saw in Wonderland. The inhabitants of Wonderland haven't forgotten her either. But the Queen of Hearts has stepped up her game. Heads are rolling faster than ever. It seems like the only way to stop her is for Alice to return to Wonderland. If Alice is willing...

Intrigued? You should be. Maybe you need a little more to whet your appetite though? How about a little taste of what Alice and the Queen are up to.

Ever Alice Excerpt

Chapter 1

Alice

Warneford Asylum, Oxford

September 15, 1888

Alice stared at the spoonful of red syrup. It may as well have had a note saying, “Drink me.”

Nurse Hazel said, “Open wide.”

Alice took the medicine into her mouth and let it pool under her tongue while she made a show of swallowing. The taste of nutmeg and something metallic, almost like blood, made her eyes water.

“That’s a good girl,” the nurse said. She wiped the spoon, capped the bottle, and left the room.

The lock clicked.

Alice waited until the nurse’s steps faded into the symphony of shrieks and moans that always rang down the hallway, and then she spat the medicine in the sink before her thoughts could curdle like an overheated custard.

She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and reached under the bed, wiggling the loose floorboard. Her tattered notebook lay in a cavity between the joists. She dusted off the cover and flipped past her drawings and recollections until she came to a fresh page.

Her hand itched to fill it, but she waited with her eyes closed. At last, he came to her, like he always did. She drew the White Rabbit, a timepiece in his paws, the chain dangling from his waistcoat pocket.

Chapter 2

Rosamund

House of Hearts, Wonderland

Lilly of the Valley 11, Year of the Queen

A light drizzle misted the air while the drummers played “March-O Death-O.”

Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts, tapped her fingers to the beat.

So very appropriate.

Of course, Rosamund wouldn’t have expected anything else. All ways were her way, and whatever way she wanted, she generally got, even if only in the end.

Her perch on the tower balcony gave her the best view of Thomas as her guards led him to the block. Her lips melted downward when she saw the proud expression on Thomas’s face.

The traitor.

Rosamund wanted Thomas to look afraid, pathetic even, but he appeared exalted, as if he were walking to his coronation, not his death. It would be better if he acted a little remorseful, but that was Thomas’s problem—he never did what she wanted.

She bit her lip until she tasted blood. Tears sprang to her eyes, and Rosamund dabbed them ceremoniously with her handkerchief. She glowed with satisfaction as her people followed suit, shaking their heads and giving her their bravest faces.

They’ll always love me.

Rosamund forced more tears to flow until she could taste them. She took a breath as the drummers rattled out a long, steady beat that reminded her of a purring cat.

She hated cats, but that didn’t concern her at the moment.

The traitor stopped before the block, and the drumming ceased. A dreadful calm lingered in the air. Slowly, he dropped to his knees and rested his chin on the chipped stump.

Thomas’s eyes flashed toward her.

She expected to see anger in them, perhaps even hatred, but there was only pity.

The executioner raised the axe and the drummers started a low and steady roll.

Brrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuummmmm…buh DUM.

The axe sliced through the air, and his white head dropped into the basket in a baptism of blood. No one turned away. Not even as Thomas’s legs twitched on the ground. They watched her, waiting for what she’d do next. She draped a black veil over her face.

“Lower the drapes,” Rosamund said to a palace servant. “I am a widow today.”

And just so you know, Ever Alice is available now on Amazon.

Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps

Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps, by A.J. Massey, © 2018, Independently Published

Being 13 is hard. You have to deal with self confidence issues, bullying, and the determination to reach your goals—even if that goal is only to ask the cute girl in your World History class if she'll go to the school dance with you.

Ben has bigger issues than if Taylor will go to the dance with him though. Every time he closes his eyes, he ends up in Meridia; a mythical land that is slowly being eaten away by the Fading. It is up to him to stop it, plus fellow dreaming 13-year-olds Avery and Marcus, not to mention a translucent elf named Tam, and three dragonwoofs. With a dose of magic, a dollop of courage, and the strength to work together when it matters most, these characters battle evil generals and the quickly encroaching Fading to save this fantasy land, plus grow into the confident young adults they aspire to become.

Does the story sound familiar? Fans of The Neverending Story and Labyrinth might think so. It should come as no surprise then that as a child, Massey was influenced by 80s fantasy movies like those, plus other epic coming of age tales. The dream-like qualities in the book mirror those tales, but also serve to inspire a new generation of heroes. Heroes that also battle self doubt and poor self esteem, but find the fortitude to work together for the good of others. Will it be enough though?

There are goblins afoot, scorching suns, and plenty of monsters intent on murder within the pages of Massey's debut novel. Young teens with a taste for adventure will cheer along with Ben, Marcus, and Avery as they traipse across Meridia. You just might find yourself enchanted too. And decide that you need your own dragonwoof to help make the world a better and safer place for all.