Book Blast/Giveaway : The Reaping by Annie Oldham

The Reaping

The government is on the verge of perfecting its loyalty serum, and Terra knows exactly what that means—the agents will have absolute control. Terra has survived the labor camp, the agents, and the soldiers who hound her as she brings nomads to the water's edge. But now she faces her most daunting challenge yet: she must return to the colony to ask the council—and her father—to help her destroy the loyalty serum. With the aid of old friends and unexpected allies, Terra races toward a confrontation that will decide her fate on the Burn forever.

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Excerpt
The soldiers shrug and look around for a few seconds more before disappearing across the grove to cover more ground. The helicopter lifts into the air and flies above the forest. Our tree sways under its down draft. My foot loses its grip on the branch and I slip, my hands grappling the biting bark as my legs flail out from under me, and Jack catches my hand just in time to keep me from falling. We stay that way—me with one hand on the branch, Jack clinging to my other hand and the tree for all he’s worth—until the sweat is pouring into my eyes and both of our muscles are screaming for relief.
I haven’t heard the soldiers for probably five minutes, and the helicopter sounds at least two miles away. I finally let myself relax and Jack pulls me back up onto the branch, and I let my cheek rest on the bark. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Jack sits down on the branch, his legs dangling on either side as he leans against the trunk. “I knew it would be like this. I knew it would be. I just didn’t imagine it would start so soon. That first week in the colony, I checked my back after leaving and entering every room.” His shoulders slump. “It was so strange to feel safe again. Jessa teased me every time I did it.” He looks at me and arches an eyebrow. “For being twins, you two are completely different. After a couple of weeks, I finally relaxed. I’m going to pick up the habit again pretty quickly.”
I nod, and the tree bark scratches my cheek. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop checking my back.

 

Author Annie Oldham
Annie Oldham grew up with an insatiable desire to read and came away with the insatiable desire to write. Away from her writing, she's the mother of the three most adorable girls in the world, has the best husband in the world, and lives in the hottest place in the world (not really, but Phoenix sure feels like it).

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BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Promo: Infraction by Annie Oldham

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW WHEN STARTING OUT AS A WRITER

When I first started writing, I was under some crazy presumption that writing should be a natural extension of reading (which I loved to do). Then I actually got to the end of my first manuscript and came to a shocking conclusion: writing is hard work and it isn't glamorous. Here are five things you should know if you're just starting out:

Write. I know, you're saying, “Duh.” But guess what? The hardest part of writing is actually making yourself do it. So many people tell me, “I've always wanted to write a book...” You'll never be a writer if you don't write. Don't worry about beauty and perfection. Just get the words out.

Being a writer is hard work. It can be aggravating, painful, and isolating. One of the biggest hurdles is commitment. I know writers who have a daily word quota. That doesn't work for me. Some days the words flow; other days, the words are slower than tar. So I have a daily time quota If you're working full-time, have a family, etc., that could be as small as ten minutes or a half hour. As long as you write and do it consistently.

Have your dreams, but remember reality. I'm an indie author, and I love the path I've chosen. Do I dream about being a NYT Bestseller? Sure, but do I need that to feel fulfilled as a writer? Nope, not at all. Just remember that no matter if you're an indie author or traditionally published, being a best seller is a rarity compared to the thousands upon thousands of books published every year. Have your dreams—we all need them—but remember that your life won't end if you don't sell x number of books or make x number of dollars. Your life won't end if you don't contract with a big six publishing house. There are so many options for publishing these days. Just find the one that works for you.

Read. Read. Read. It helps you stay in touch with your chosen genre. It also helps you discover what works and what doesn't. Now that I'm four published books into my writing career, it's amazing how I read not only for enjoyment, but with an editor's eye of what I really like in a book and what drives me up the wall. You can't write in a vacuum, and reading helps improve your own work.

Don't beat yourself up. Writers (myself included) are dripping with self-doubt. I never talked to a writer that had enough confidence to say, “Yup, that book I just wrote? Every single person who reads it is going to be in awe.” It doesn't happen. There will always be someone (and most likely lots of someones) who doesn't like your work. That's okay. You've got to have a thick skin to be a writer. Take criticism where it's given and always try to improve your craft. Your best novel should always be ahead of you.

Book Excerpt

“What's your name?”
I study him, study his fingers hovering over the notepad screen. I grab his hand. He tenses a moment and pulls back, but I look at him insistently and he relaxes.
Aren't you going to give me a number?
He smiles sadly. “No, I want to call you by your name.”
I watch him carefully, searching his eyes. They're black, almost as black as my hair—or what used to be my hair. I self-consciously run my palm over the stubble on my head. I can't read anything in his eyes. Jack's eyes are hazel, but deep in their colors and emotion. Dr. Benedict's are reflective, bouncing my face back at me. I don't want to trust him, but he's the first kind person I've come across here. Should that make me trust him even less?
Terra.
“I like that.”
I drop his hand.
“Now I just need to see your arm and get your tracker number.”
I go rigid, all of me freezing to the exam table. He must see the panic in my eyes because his lips turn down and several creases appear between his brows. He tugs on his ear absently.
“This is standard procedure, Terra. We just need to record who comes through here, give trackers to those who have chosen to, um, remove them. Or make sure there aren't any phony trackers.”
My fingers curl around the edge of the table, and I can't release them. I can't even blink.
“It'll just take a moment.”
He doesn't understand my paralysis. How could he? Those who have cut out their trackers are pretty common, especially among the nomads. But those who never had one?
Dr. Benedict steps forward slowly, as one might approach a frightened animal. He lifts a hand, his palm up. He looks submissive even. I watch as his fingers inch toward mine. They brush the skin, and his hand is warm. He gently pries my fingers from the table, and then gradually runs his fingertips up to my wrist and turns my arm over. His eyebrows raise.
“You've never had a tracker?”
I feel the color drain from my face, and I shake my head.
“Were you born in a city, Terra?”
I shake my head again and pull the towel closer around me, wanting to hide from him and the other questions that will surely follow, but he surprises me.
“I think that's everything we need for this exam.” He writes down a few more notes. “But you're not quite done here. You'll need to go through that door.” He nods to the right. “They'll inject a tracker.”
I'm to be branded. I'll never escape them now.


Author Bio

Annie Oldham adores writing and reading YA novels. She grew up in a house full of books and developed an insatiable desire to read, which led to the insatiable desire to write. Away from her writing, she's the mother of the three most adorable girls in the world, has the best husband in the world, and lives in the hottest place in the world (not really, but Phoenix sure feels like it). She loves to cook, sing, and play the piano. She is the author of Infraction, The Burn, Bound, and Dragon Sister.



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