Today we have a cover reveal for T. H. Hernandez and I am so so in love with it!!!!
Check it out—and make sure to read the excerpt!!!
After global warming
and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different
societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging
the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as
the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old
Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is
any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do
something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.
When she’s kidnapped
and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce,
her ideal world is turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins
shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and
even the Union itself.
Now Evan must choose
whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s
in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known. But
when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her
decision could tear her apart.
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
Once the sun rises, I can make out
trees in the distance. Real trees with leaves, which means there must be water
nearby. I’m not sure Ruins water is safe to drink, but I do know I’ll die if I
don’t drink something.
Even though I’ve been walking for
hours, the trees don’t seem to be getting any closer. My legs have taken on a
sponge-like quality and I stumble, but manage to stay upright. If I fall, I may
never get up again.
I’m almost to the trees. They’re
only a little farther now.
There’s no water here. How can
there be trees without water?
Despair overtakes me and I drop
down, pounding my fists on the barren ground. I stuff a soft green leaf in my
mouth, seeking moisture, but my mouth is so dry, I gag on the pieces, tearing
my throat like shards of broken glass.
My head spins as I lie on my back
and struggle to form coherent thoughts. I take a deep breath and tell myself to
think. Think is such a strange word. Think, think, think. It doesn’t
even sound English.
Shaking my head to clear my mind,
I try to pull myself together, remembering where I am and forcing myself to
focus on my immediate situation. What do the Buddhists call it? Being
mindful.
My brain works to form rational
thoughts, but there’s nothing rational about this. I left home to find my place
in the world, is this really where my search was supposed to lead me? It’s more
like a cruel joke. If I was on a date with destiny, it just took a bizarre turn
into a twisted ending I never saw coming.
God, if only I hadn’t gone to the
park that night, none of this would’ve happened. I begin to cry. For my family
and friends who will never know what happened to me, and for me. I’m not ready
to die, I’m only 17.
I can’t help wondering if I would
have spent so much time agonizing over my future if I’d known I’d be dead so
soon. If I’d known, maybe I’d have done everything differently. Now I know my
future. My life ends here. Alone. In the Ruins.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they're still figuring out life. When I'm not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I'm obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.
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