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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Survival rule number one... Before Dawn by Elizabeth Arroyo

Survival rule number one: eat before being hunted.
In a world infected by violent hybrids, survival comes with its own set of rules. Sixteen-year-old Zoe is an expert at breaking them.


Description:

Published: June 12th, 2018

Survival rule number one: eat before being hunted.

In a world infected by violent hybrids, survival comes with its own set of rules. Sixteen-year-old Zoe is an expert at breaking them.

While Zoe has abilities she cannot explain, just getting through another day without being killed is a challenge. She has survived since her mother’s murder with help from an unexpected ally, Morph.

Morph is part of the Arcane, an elite force of teenagers from an Alliance of space stations. After the Arcane are destroyed in an explosion, only Morph and his brother survive. They are sent on a new mission to capture a dangerous hybrid.

Morph is torn between duty and his attraction to Zoe. With threats to the planet from above, Morph knows Zoe’s chances are limited. Trying to save her could be a betrayal to the Alliance.

When Zoe recovers memories of her mother’s death that point straight to the Arcane, she realizes Morph might be the real enemy.

As more mysteries are brought to light, telling friends from foes becomes difficult. For Morph and Zoe, the world is more dangerous than ever. And trusting each other is the key to them living to see another day.

EXCERPT

Morph wanted to apologize for leaving her and let her know that Shyla had him by his manhood. He wanted to apologize for Jace. Recently, she’d allowed her emotions to dominate her actions. She’d snap whenever he tried to talk some sense into her. Stubborn to the core. He couldn’t bring out the words before she pissed him off.

Like now.
Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she headed for the exit.

“Don’t,” he warned. “Stone’s pulling sentry duty.” If Stone detected movement it would send a highly volatile cylinder to the perpetrator and exterminate them. Only it probably wouldn’t kill Zoe. It’d destroy itself in the process and he liked the bot.

“Call it off,” she challenged. Her hand already on the doorknob.
“Just relax,” he ordered, but that only sent her edging into the drop off.

“Call it off. It’s the only one you have left.” She turned to meet his eyes and let out a breath just before she opened the door.

Cursing, he pushed the off button on his wristband to keep the bot from committing suicide. “Stay here,” he ordered Glam and sprinted after Zoe.

Being depleted of energy didn’t stop her from charging down the seven flights of stairs. She rushed outside, into the dawn, and abruptly stopped. He slammed into her and quickly drew her into his protective embrace before she lost her balance. This close to her, he lost his words.

She gently pushed him away. Her amber colored eyes did something to him he never wanted to forget. It made him whole.
“Why did you even come back?” she whispered.

He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch. All the reasons why he couldn’t tell her how he felt, why he couldn’t wrap her in his arms and kiss her, flooded to the surface. Attachments would get him killed. She was a hybridhe killed her kind. He needed to take her to Mecca, to be tested. She, like Archer, seemed to be a new version of hybrid. She could never join him on the Phoenix, and he had to go back. It was the only way to save Jace. It’d be wrong to explore their feelings when he knew how it would all end.

“I have to go back,” he whispered. He didn’t have to tell her what he meant. She knew. It was written all over her face. She stiffened and pulled away. He almost wanted her to argue with him, to challenge him to stay. She didn’t. She never did. Instead, she sucked in a breath and walked back inside.

About the author:
Born and raised in Chicago and the youngest of five, Elizabeth spent most of her younger years as an avid reader with a wild imagination which led her to write her first manuscript at the age of fourteen.

Influenced by the gamers in her household and her love of action adventure, Elizabeth delved into the realm of science fiction and wrote her first full-length science fiction/dystopian YA novel—Before Dawn—acquired by Ellysian Press in 2016.

Elizabeth is the author of the Second Sign and the Second Shadow, a dark YA paranormal romance series, (Sapphire Star Publishing, 2013), and Darkness, a YA paranormal thriller, (Indie-Published, 2014). She has a short story published with SQ Magazine, and advice on her writing journey can be found in The Write Path: A Compilation of Letters, (Amazon Digital Services, Inc.).

Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, and binge watching her favorite shows.

You can reach Elizabeth on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

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