Images From #SubjectA36 #NewRelease #YA #scifi

On By Teri PolenIn Promotions29 Comments

Welcome to the last week of meeting the characters and learning more about the world of Subject A36 – the book drops next Thursday!  I mentioned on my FB page I’m excited, but also nervous.  It’s like raising a child, hoping you prepared him for the cold, hard world, and then shoving him out the door with a wish and a prayer that people will be kind to him.

On to meeting our last character.

Meet Oz.  He hasn’t had an easy life.  At the age of ten, he lost his younger twin brothers to The Colony and his parents soon after.  While on his own, he sustained burns in a house fire that left scars on parts of his face and neck.  He keeps his hair long enough to pull over the scars when he’s feeling self-conscious.  Oz fights hard to rescue all hostages, but after losing his brothers, the children hold a special place in his heart.  When they’re brought back to the compound after a rescue, you’ll find Oz telling them stories or giving pony rides on his back.  Kids are occasionally frightened of his disfigurement, but Oz always wins them over.

The house below him is where Asher lived with his family in his early years.  To the left is Oz hanging out at the compound.  For reasons I can’t reveal, he’s got a lot on his mind.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little about my characters over the past several weeks – I know I like talking about them, lol.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

 

The Pretenders (The Similars #2) by Rebecca Hanover #bookreview #YA #scifi

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews14 Comments

In this conclusion to The Similars duology, Emma must figure out who she really is, decide between two boys with the same face, and stop a dangerous plan based on revenge.

Emma is still reeling from the events of her junior year at Darkwood. Not only is her best friend, Oliver, shockingly alive, but the boy she loves—his Similar, Levi—is still on the island where he grew up, stranded with his deranged creator.

More importantly, she is grappling with who she really is. Emma can’t accept the hard truths she learned last year and refuses to share her secrets with anyone, isolating herself from her friends and Ollie.

But when more of the Similars’ creator’s plot is revealed, Emma and her friends will have to try to stop him from putting a plan into motion that could destroy everyone she loves. 

With it’s dark secrets, shocking truths, and political angles, the first book in this series hooked me, and I couldn’t wait to get to the sequel.  It also hinted at a very bizarre love triangle.

The things I enjoyed in the first book – cloning, clone rights, and ethics – aren’t as prominent in this sequel.  Instead, it focuses more on high school cliches and teen drama.  Yes, this is a young adult novel, and those actions are to be expected in some of them; however, compared to the first book in this series, The Pretenders takes an entirely different path.  Almost like The Similars, but in an alternate universe – Bizarro world, maybe?

Characterization is done well and I enjoyed the scientific aspects of the story.  The message of not hating others for their differences is an important theme throughout.  But the ending made me think of Scooby-Doo when masks are removed from the villains.  Some big reveals occur, but the scene is chaotic, rushed, and felt out of place in comparison to the first book.

Overall, I’m glad I finished this series, but it didn’t work for me as well as the first book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

 

Calling #NetGalley Reviewers and Bloggers #youngadult #scifi

On By Teri PolenIn Promotions10 Comments

Subject A36 is available on NetGalley!  If you have an account and would like to read and review it, email me at tpolen6@gmail.com and I’ll send you the widget to download the ebook.

If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?

Residents of the Colony would. And do.

Only the Insurgents can stop them.

Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.

He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.

Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.

Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him. 

 

Diamond City (Diamond City #1) by Francesa Flores #bookreview #YA #fantasy #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews14 Comments

Good things don’t happen to girls who come from nothing…unless they risk everything.

Fierce and ambitious, Aina Solís as sharp as her blade and as mysterious as the blood magic she protects. After the murder of her parents, Aina takes a job as an assassin to survive and finds a new family in those like her: the unwanted and forgotten.

Her boss is brutal and cold, with a questionable sense of morality, but he provides a place for people with nowhere else to go. And makes sure they stay there.

DIAMOND CITY: built by magic, ruled by tyrants, and in desperate need of saving. It is a world full of dark forces and hidden agendas, old rivalries and lethal new enemies.

To claim a future for herself in a world that doesn’t want her to survive, Aina will have to win a game of murder and conspiracy—and risk losing everything.

Full of action, romance and dark magic, book one of Francesca Flores’ breathtaking fantasy duology will leave readers eager for more! 

I liked the sound of the world-building in this novel – it gave me some Ace of Shades vibes (a book I adored!), so I immediately requested it from NetGalley.

If you love action-packed books that move at a brisk pace, Diamond City checks those boxes.  From nearly the first page, the story takes off and rarely slows down – which makes sense given the MC is an assassin.  And she’s very good at her job.  Other reviewers have mentioned difficulty in connecting with Aina because of her profession.  Admittedly, she’s racked up quite the body count, but she was also orphaned at a young age and lived on the streets.  She could choose to either give up and die or kill others to survive.  Someone from her walk of life doesn’t have a long list of options.

The world-building is dark and gritty with gangs, rampant religious persecution, and a wide divide between the rich and the poor.  Magic is connected to religion and is outlawed, but there are still those who practice it and risk their lives.

Initially, I became annoyed with Aina and the way she’s attracted to nearly everyone she meets, but the reason becomes obvious to Aina and the reader by the end of the book, and I was glad romance isn’t a prominent element of the story.  There are some fascinating, complex dynamics going on between some characters, and I’m anxious to see where this goes in the next book.

Diamond City is a dark, bloody tale and requires suspension of disbelief in a couple of places, but it’s a solid debut novel and a series I plan to continue.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AmWatching, #SubjectA36 on #NetGalley, #Excerpt

On By Teri PolenIn Miscellaneous22 Comments

Hubby and I had a fun weekend.  We have friends over every Super Bowl, and it’s always a good time and way too much food.  I didn’t really care about the teams this year, but I always look forward to the commercials.  My favorites this year were the ones featuring Jason Momoa (don’t even remember what he was advertising because I was laughing so much), Sam Elliott for Doritos, and MC Hammer for Cheetos.  I also caught a little of the kitten bowl – so much cuteness!  I’d adopt every one of them if I could.

Friday night, we watched Rambo: Last Blood.  Unless you’re a Rambo fanatic or just want to see what becomes of the guy at the end of the series, don’t bother.  Basically, bad things happen, Rambo goes after the guys, lures them back to his home turf, and then it plays out like Home Alone, only with a much higher body count.  Still, Stallone moves pretty well for a 73-year-old.

Subject A36 is on NetGalley!  To all you bloggers and reviewers, if you have a NetGalley account and would like to read and review it, email me at tpolen6@gmail.com and I’ll send you the widget to download the book.

Now for another excerpt!  In this scene, Asher and Brynn are in the middle of a rescue mission and encounter two guards.  Asher has already taken care of his and turns to watch Brynn.

The guard spun around to face her, as his hand reached for the gun holstered at his side.  But before he could draw the weapon, she took a running leap and used his thigh as a springboard to propel herself up.  She hooked her right leg around his neck then used her momentum to take them both to the ground.  With his air supply cut off, he was unconscious in seconds. 

She was so graceful – it was like watching a deadly ballet.

“Very nice.”

“He went down quicker than you.”

Brynn had practiced the move on me over the past few weeks, wrapping her legs around my neck dozens, possibly hundreds of times.

I grinned.  “Maybe I enjoyed it more.”

She smirked in reply.

 

Images from #SubjectA36 #newrelease #YA #scifi

On By Teri PolenIn Promotions20 Comments

I swear the weeks leading up to the Subject A36 release are flying by.  Tomorrow will be February – where did January go?  And I’m still hoping for at least one good snow this winter.  Snow days are perfect for snuggling up with a good book.  Really, anytime is perfect to snuggle up with a book, right?  But now it’s time to delve more into the world of Subject A36.

The top left gives you an idea of how Asher and his team may look in the field.  They’re not always in full gear like this, but sometimes circumstances call for it.

On the right is Asher standing in front of the Insurgent compound.  In addition to field missions, perimeter checks and patrols are 24/7 duties for the operatives.

Then we come to Elijah.  He’s the extra eyes and ears of the Insurgents when they’re in the field.  As a tech genius, he’s yet to meet a security system he can’t hack, and when things have gone sideways for Asher and his team, Elijah has guided them to egress points and helped them avoid Colony soldiers.  As valuable as he is in the tech capacity, Elijah dreams of being a field operative where he can take a more active role in rescuing hostages.

Thanks for dropping by today – have a great weekend, guys!

#GuestAuthor Teri Polen on Her #NewBook Subject A36

On By Teri PolenIn Uncategorized13 Comments

I’m over at Marcia Meara’s blog today – she graciously offered her blog to help promote Subject A36. Drop by to read the latest about genetic engineering – it may give you chills. While you’re there, check out Marcia’s books. She’s written more than one highly-rated suspense series, and I’ll be starting the second book in her Wake Robin Ridge series soon.  I can’t wait to meet Rabbit – reviewers rave about him!

The Write Stuff

Happy Thor’s Day, everybody! I’m pleased to announce we have a guest blogger today on The Write Stuff, and I know you’ll all help me welcome author Teri Polen. Teri’s going to share a bit about her soon-to-be-released book, Subject A36, and I know you’ll be intrigued, and will want to let all your friends on social media know about this one. Thanks!

I love her skin tone. 

What I wouldn’t give to have hair that color.

I always wanted blue eyes the color of the ocean.

Most of us have coveted physical attributes possessed by others and have made similar statements.  It’s rare to come across someone who wouldn’t change something about their physical appearance if given the opportunity.  But what if there was a way? 

Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes using biotechnology.  Most of us know our food is genetically modified.  One…

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