Happy Release CATALYST by Kristin Smith!

When one of your besties releases her debut young adult novel what do you do?

Join in to help her spread the world. Well...after you freak out and all. Please join me in celebrating the release of CATALYST by Kristin Smith. She's one of my critique partners, amazing supporters of my work, and all around sweet person! I've also read the entire manuscript in its birthing stage and beyond. Trust me. You'll love it.

Catalyst (The Deception Game, #1)

by Kristin Smith

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Release date: November 21st 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

Too pretty.
Too smart.
Too perfect. 

In a crumbling, futuristic Las Vegas where the wealthy choose the characteristics of their children like ordering off a drive-thru menu, seventeen-year-old Sienna Preston doesn’t fit in. As a normal girl surrounded by genetically modified teenagers, all of her imperfections are on display. But after the death of her father, everything she’s ever known and loved changes in an instant. 

With little skills to help provide for her family, Sienna clings to the two things that come easily—lying and stealing. But not all thief-for-hire assignments go as planned. When a covert exchange of a stolen computer chip is intercepted, she becomes entangled with a corrupt government official who uses her thieving past as leverage, her mother as collateral, and the genetically modified poster boy she’s falling for as bait. 

In order to rescue her mother, there may only be one option—joining forces with the Fringe, an extremist group, and their young leader who’s too hot to be bad. Problem is, these revolutionaries aren’t what they seem, and the secrets they’re hiding could be more dangerous than Sienna is prepared for. In the end, she must be willing to risk everything to save the one thing that matters most.
Catalyst is a thrilling adventure of danger, romance, intrigue, and deception.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“You need to learn a little hand-to-hand combat.” Trey puts his fists up by his face. “Always protect your soft spots—your face being numero uno.” He glances at my bandaged arm. “You right-handed?”

It’s after breakfast and we’re in the training facility, a large, gym-type room with thick mats, punching bags, weights, and a long wall of mirrors. The smell of sweat and stinky feet assault my nose as I stand across from him on the pile of black mats used to create a “ring”. We have the gym to ourselves. Most likely because everyone else is too smart to work out right after a meal.

I nod and flex my right hand, the one that’s not bandaged.

“You should be fine, then. I’ll take it easy on you.” He grins. “Go ahead—hit me.”

I take a step back and shake my head. “I’m not gonna hit you.”

He moves forward to decrease the distance between us. “I said, hit me.”

I raise my arms as if I’m about to fight him, but all I can think is how much he’s done to help me. How can I punch the man who saved me from the government facility, removed my tracker, and is willing to help rescue my mother?

When he realizes I won’t fight, he lowers his hands. “Remember, Sienna, these men don’t care that you’re a girl. They don’t care how old you are. If given the opportunity, they will hurt you.” His eyes harden. “Now hit me.”

I punch him as hard as I can, and he’s not expecting it. The force of the blow to his face knocks him backward, and my hand throbs from the impact. He looks stunned, especially when a trickle of blood makes its way out of his nose. But then he grins.

Wiping his nose on his shirt, he motions with his hands for me to come closer. “Nicely done. Now, hit me again.”

Surely, he must be crazy. I’m about to walk away, but his words echo in my mind. If given the opportunity, they will hurt you. I can’t give them that opportunity.

Author Bio:
Kristin Smith writes young adult contemporary and science fiction novels. When she’s not writing, you can find her dreaming about the beach, beating her boys at Just Dance, or belting out karaoke (from the comfort of her own home). Kristin currently resides in the middle-of-nowhere North Carolina with her husband and five incredibly loud but extremely cute boys. To read more about her obsession with YA novels or her addiction to chocolate, you can visit her at kristinsmithbooks.com. Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I also want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! 
My daughter (kiddo #3) turns 18 on the 25th, so we'll be celebrating double-duty. <3 

Wistful YA ~ ABANDONED by Ellen Fritz & A Writer's Critique!

Wistful YA is my reoccurring spotlight, giving young adult literature center stage.
One of the first things I revealed about myself here on Writer's Alley was that I'm a hopeless romantic. #restspalmonforehead There's no denying it. But sometimes romance is preceded by despicable and fateful acts, leaving a soul's only salvation in love's hands. This next story is just that. Technically it's categorized as young adult, but some of the content is a little older. *Disclaimer: One aspect of the story, a violent topic in nature, is not be suitable for children; however, the act is no shown, but explored as a character develops.
Now to our next ... segment.
Meet ELLEN FRITZ, retired high school English teacher and School Counselor. She'd always heard the saying "Write what you know." Instead, she wrote for the audience I knew quite well - young adults. They recommended so many great books to Ellen over the years that she wanted to write some for them. Ellen is also the author of the young adult tale Mira. Find her on her Website, Facebook, and Goodreads. 
Hi Ellen! It's great to have you visit the Alleyway. I want to ask you firstly, what inspired you to write this story? The idea for the story came from the sense of abandonment I heard in the voices of many young people I worked with. My main character, Holly, has learned to take care of herself and get herself out of dangerous situations because there was no one else she could rely on.
That truly is admirable. I can only image what you've heard and seen as a high school counselor. Give us a little insight into Abandoned. The story starts in the middle of one of the worst days of Holly's life. Then it gets worse. Writing it, I simply followed the events that take her through joy, fear, anger and despair.
Turmoil right from the get-go. Great way to start a story. Tell us about Holly.  Holly has no one she can really trust, so she depends on herself. Attacked, near death, she finally enters a life where she can learn that others care enough to defend and protect her.
Tell us something people wouldn't suspect about you. People are always surprised that I've enjoyed Fantasy/Science Fiction my whole life. I think it started in high school when a teacher assigned Lord of the Rings as required reading. I've mentally thanked her every day since. Lord of the Rings, now there's some fantasy! What can your readers expect next from you? Look forward to Book II, Vulnerable, and Book III, Forsaken. Abandoned should be out as an Audio Book soon.
Let's take a peek at Abandoned. 

AMAZON

Abandoned - Book I of the In the Night Series

by Ellen Fritz

Genre: Young/Adult Fantasy Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Pages: 292 pages
Description:         Where do you run in the middle of the night when you hear your uncle join your parents, all planning to continue the drinking that has already been going on for hours?  The uncle who raped you.  The one that your parents believe when he says he never touched you.         Abandoned plunges the reader into the story of seventeen year old Holly Locke, whose home life is barely tolerable at the best of times.  She starts a job cleaning a bar so she can move away from her parents.  It quickly becomes the one place she thinks she’s finally found acceptance and security, until she witnesses three vampires feeding.         Holly is attacked, must be changed to a vampire to save her life, and joins a world very different from her old one.  She is trusted, respected, and quickly falling in love with Parker.  But Parker is human.  A human that, with every kiss, drives her closer to her uncontrollable desire to drain him.
Passage:         Holly’s heart beat faintly and slowly, but Quinton couldn’t get her to start breathing again on her own.  She was dying in front of them.         “Change her,” Parker almost whispered.         Byron just turned his head and looked at him.         “You know you have to.  We can’t just let her die!  If she dies, it’s our fault!”  Parker’s voice was frantic.  By the time he finished speaking, he was shouting.         Quinton turned his face from Holly’s lips.  “It’s my fault!” He shouted back at Parker.  “I was following them, but let them get too far ahead of me.  I should have been able to get there sooner.”  He gave up on the mouth-to-mouth and stood next to the bed with his anger and frustration radiating out of him.         Parker put both hands on the mattress and leaned forward gazing into Byron’s eyes.  “Please don’t let her die,” he begged.  “Please.”         Byron squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then looked back at Parker.  Without saying a word, he lifted his own wrist to his mouth and bit into his vein.  Quinton reached down and gently opened Holly’s mouth again.

Thank you for sharing yourself with us, Ellen. All the best to you! 
Alleywalkers, Ellen has offered up a first three chapter critique for any young adult manuscript! I'll keep the offer open until February 25th. To qualify, just have the first three chapters of your YA manuscript ready to critique and ENTER below. A winner will be chosen randomly.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

YA/New Adult Book Spotlight: ROUGE

The Alleyway's segment 'Book Spotlight' is a reoccurring segment to share either my views and recommendations about a story or to simply promote and spread the word about a tale.

Title: ROUGE
Author: Leigh Talbort Moore
Genre: Mature New Adult/Upper YA, light historical/ theater romance
Released: November 11, 2012
Pages: 300

I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review. 

Favorite Line/Passage: Hours passed as I lay in the darkness listening to Teeny breathe. Desperation had me by the throat, making it impossible to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking of how we might escape until finally I gave up and slipped out of bed. 

Description: Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and promised to protect.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost her everything.

COVETED!! MUST HAVE!

My Splats: an unlikely setting of theater and hidden brothel brought to life by romance, self-sacrifice, and the basic human instinct of survival. 

Nineteenth century flare is captured beautifully in both the world created and the prose, tugging the reader along Hale's unsure path. Driven to seek a better life for herself and the young tween she cares for, Hale is willing to do almost anything to escape this world of old, where woman are seen more as objects and sought after for pleasure or expected to have a husband to survive. This is an interesting subject and definitely more mature; Upper YA/New Adult is a good definition. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Hale's character. She's smart, talented, and caring amid a backdrop of self-seekers and dangers she knows are just around the corner as she nears next birthday. Mature for her ripe age of newly eighteen, she can easily be an inspiration to today's teenage girl. Hale is proactive, unwilling to sit back and let life happen to her. 

Dialog is always a clincher for me, and there was no disappointment in that as characters exchanged words. Vocal emotions, opinions, warnings, and directions all sparked with delight and spunk. Living words, I like to call them. 

Sweet romance softens Hale's hard world with forbidden longing and passion through a love triangle that tugs at every heartstring. The dynamics of a guy of lesser means who is totally unexpected and the affluent gentleman who's nice and polite is moving. And when crossed with Hale's living conditions and guardianship to the younger tween, there's plenty of conflict and strife for all. 

Hale needs a way out and she's found a sure thing in Freddie, the gentleman who's totally fallen for her and her amazing singing voice. But her heart pulls her in another direction - toward Beau. She's faced with the gut-wrenching decision of whether to follow her head or her heart. 

As the story moves toward the climax, so much threatens her well-being that her choices seem to be erased. I found myself unable to stop reading, my heart ready to leap from my chest, which swam in an ocean of emotions. At one point, I cried, mainly because of the unique friendship Hale has with one of the male characters in the theater. This relationship added much depth to both character and story. Lastly....

...OMGosh, the ending!! 

I would recommend this read to any older teen reader and adults alike, romance lover, and even a theater buff. Moore really captures the backstage of the theater well. 

As an added surprise for all you precious Alleywalkers, ROUGE is offered for the special holiday price of only $0.99 through Christmas Day. Plus, it's free December 19th & 20th, available as an Amazon Kindle Select!!

So tell me: have you ever read a story with the theater as the setting? Another interesting setting?