New YA Dystopian: Program 13 & Giveaway

Program 13 by Nicole Sobon
316 pages; published August 15th, 2012
Young Adult, Sci-fi

Two identities. One Body.17-year-old Emile Reed, may have died, but she isn't dead. Her body now belongs to Program Thirteen, where her every thought, every movement, is controlled. Until Emile begins to find her way back inside of Thirteen's core, where she manages to fend off Thirteen’s programming to reclaim the life that she lost. But Charles McVeigh, the owner of Vesta Corp, isn’t willing to let Thirteen go. And he will stop at nothing to reclaim control of Thirteen's programming. Because without her, McVeigh has nothing.
What makes you human?

Amazon

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The leather straps constricted my wrists forcing me to endure the electric current soaring through my body. With each jolt of energy, the wires beneath my skin buzzed, sending a shrill throughout my core. Programmed to respond to pain, my body flung forward involuntarily.

“Pain is a natural reaction,” they told us. “It’s a part of being human. It is something you will better understand once your human identity is finally installed.”

But no matter how much I might look human, I was not.

I was a Program, a machine built to appear human.

The straps dug into my skin, tearing it slightly. I could feel the cold brushing against the metal surrounding the wires beneath the break. The tearing didn’t hurt, but my Program reacted as though it did. The scientists wanted to see how we react to pain. They wanted to believe we were capable of acting human.

This body, this skin, it was a cover for what I truly was.

“They do not have enough experience with your kind,” the White Coats said. “We just want to make sure you are safe out there. This is your world, too.”

At least, that was what they told me.

“Program Thirteen,” a harsh voice called from behind the glass. I could faintly make out a shadow of the man as he held his clipboard in his hand, carefully checking each box indicating I’d passed my daily inspection. I was making excellent progress, or so I’d heard.

“Your Program is coming along quite nicely,” McVeigh had told me. “I can only imagine how well you will do once your human identity is programmed into your core.”

I knew that McVeigh was happy with my progress here at Vesta Corp, but I did not comprehend much of what he said. What I did know was that as long as my treatments continued to work, I’d remain activated. I’d retain a purpose. That was all that mattered.

Looking down, I could see that the leather straps were hanging down, no longer constricting my wrists. Even without the straps to hold me down, I did not move. I remained seated, waiting for a White Coat to come strolling in through the door. As I waited, I noticed that my skin where it had been torn from the pressure of the restraints was flapping around. I’d have to pay a visit to the doctor again so that she could tend to the tear.

“You must find a way to fight the pain, Thirteen,” she’d tell me, just like she always did.

And then I’d nod, because that was what I was expected to do.

The truth was that I had no control over how my Program reacted to pain. Everything I did, everything I was – it was all controlled by the scientists. I didn’t choose to react. My Program, the one which they’d built, did. I twisted my wrist so that my palm was facing up, and I gazed down at the open skin. No blood. No bone. Only exposed metal.

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Nicole Sobon is the author of The Emile Reed Chronicles (Young Adult Science Fiction), the Outbreak duology (Young Adult Dystopian), and various short stories.

Her novel, Program 13, was quoted on an episode of Criminal Minds (season 8, episode 13, "Magnum Opus"). 

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

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Book of the Month Chat: Gameboard of the Gods, by Richelle Mead

Welcome to our book of the month chat. Like last month, Kenya and I (Alicia) again welcome authors D.T. Dyllin (also known as Dara) and Megan D. Martin to our blog. For July, I chose Gameboard of the Gods, by Richelle Mead. Tune in below for our discussion!

GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS
by Richelle Mead

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Dara: Yay! About time we had this discussion, chicas! :p

Alicia: Some of us have day jobs, ya know.

Kenya: Yes. Alicia works on the streets. The streets are hot now. Corner work is no joke!

Alicia: Not during the day. Business would be too slow.

Kenya: Awww.

Alicia: Okay, so let's kick off this discussion.

Dara: I'm ready! (to get it over with) :p

Kenya: Can I say that our book discussions get around 2000 views on the blog? Pretty cool.

Alicia: For July, I picked Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead.

Kenya: I feel like it's due to me.

Alicia: Can I go on? x-(

Kenya: *waits for you all to thank her*

Dara: Yes, continue...

Megan: Of course.

Kenya: So Gameboard of the Gods, or as I like to say it...constipation of the soul.

Alicia: Throughout the month, there was lots of grumbling about the book on Twitter. So the first thing I wanna know is, besides me, who finished it?

Megan: I did...not...

Dara: I quit as soon as I got to 30%. I couldn't take it. AAAAAHHHH!

Alicia: And if you didn't finish it, how far did you get?

Megan: 30%

Kenya: My doctor said I couldn't finish because it was battering with my insides. 30%.

Alicia: Honestly, I would have quit too, if I hadn't picked the book. Plus, I didn't want us to be on this chat with everyone having quit.

Kenya: Why not?

Alicia: Then we'd just be like an angry mob. Not so great for a discussion.

Kenya: Awww. Richelle Mead suck up.

Megan: I kind of like being an angry mob. With our chain poms.


Dara: I don't DNF very many books and I happen to love Richelle Mead's other series, but...this...ummm... *yawn*

Alicia: I found some good things about the book—kind of. So I will attempt to be the devil's advocate.

Megan: Good luck.

Alicia: I'm gonna need it. So what did you guys think about Mae, the main character?

Megan: Boring!

Kenya: Boring!!

Alicia: And Justin?

Dara: Meh.

Kenya: Meh.

Alicia: Could you be more specific please?

Kenya: Really boring.


Dara: I have no feelings for Mae. I just couldn't...I just couldn't...meh.

Alicia: You ladies do realize that one purpose of these discussions is to inform readers about the book? You're failing at that.

Kenya: She came off cold and one-dimensional. If I was given a quiz about her, I couldn't pass it. What does she like? Does she smile?

Dara: Okay...how about this: I think I fell asleep during the sex scene.


Megan: The first scene at the funeral practically put me to sleep. I just didn't care.

Alicia: Thank you, Megan, for a useful comment!

Kenya: What makes her happy? Sure she can fight, but I can't relate to her at all.

Megan: Lol, I know it's bad when you say my comments are useful.

Alicia: I’m being a cheerleader.

Dara: I just wasn't emotionally invested at all.

Megan: I wish she would have given us a little more background about RUNA and the world.

Kenya: I didn't care if the hero or heroine died. In fact, their deaths would have been an improvement.

Dara: I thought the world building was too much. We get it. Damn...more emotions please.

Kenya: There was no world building, just the placement of insignificant details of futuristic shit!

Megan: I didn't even know what RUNA stood for until I went back and read the blurb.


Kenya: It fucking pissed me off!

Alicia: You know how when it's a home game and your team is getting slaughtered, and it's clear to you why they're getting slaughtered, but it's your job to cheer? This is me. And I have to disagree that there was no world-building

Dara: Ummm...there was tons of world building. Too much. I like to use my own imagination, thank you.

Alicia: But I also think a lot of details about the world that seemed all over the place came together toward the end.

Dara: Well I wouldn't know about the end.

Alicia: Early on, I was thinking: Why do I care about the Cain disease, which has nothing to do with nothing? But it turned out to be relevant.

Kenya: The RUNA is the Republic of North America. I searched it on Goodreads.

Megan: Lol!

Alicia: And all these religious groups, and religions being outlawed, and genetic scores...Why? But it came together.

Kenya: When? At 50% of the damn book?

Alicia: Even though I thought the world-building made sense and was not superfluous, I also thought the presentation of material was not well done.

Megan: I thought the POV of the younger girl was super boring.

Kenya: Dear god, yes.

Megan: I wanted to scratch my eyes out.

Kenya: I mean seriously? WTF, Richelle? WTF?

Alicia: Oh yeah, that chick's POV was totally pointless—that's coming from someone who read the entire book, by the way. It never got better.

Dara: I wanted to quit when the sex scene bored me. I mean...how can a sex scene make me yawn? But it did.


Kenya: Let's discuss what drugs the author was doing at the time of writing it. We all do drugs when we write, right?

Megan: LOL @ Kenya! Yes that sex scene...oh man that was bad.

Alicia: Wait. For a minute there, I forgot I was the cheerleader. Okay..cheerleader's back.

Kenya: I get when you don't want to info-dump the world building, but goodness throw us a bone. And throw the bone in the first 5%.

Alicia: Do you guys know why the sex scene was boring? Why didn't it work for you?

Kenya: Because it had boring characters involved in the sex...

Megan: ‘Cause we are sick fucks?

Dara: I just wasn't emotionally connected to the sexy time she had going on. I'm honestly not even sure why.

Alicia: I'm seeing like a 22% effort from you ladies at providing helpful comments. Can we bring that up to 50% please?

Dara: Hey, hey, I bet our chat is more interesting at 22% than the book.

Kenya: How about you kiss my ass! You assigned this drivel!

Alicia: Yeah...sorry about that. :-/

Kenya: Back to Bukakke and its relation to this book? Anybody?

Alicia: Okay, so I’m ignoring Kenya, and now I am going to say good things...

Kenya: After reading 30%, I felt like someone spurted all over my face! And not just one…many.

Dara: *sigh* Kenya

Megan: I am laughing so hard...my dog thinks I'm nuts.

Alicia: The last 25% or so of the book was actually not bad. It became clear that some gods were struggling for power. Justin got more in touch with his spiritual self. They both interacted with supernatural beings. There was fighting and stuff. So back to you guys: Is there anything at all that you liked about the book? Any redeeming characteristics?

Dara: I liked that I didn't have to read any more after 30%.

Kenya: So can you answer this for me, Alicia? Did you end up being glad you finished?

Alicia: Kenya, if I hadn't picked the book, I would have quit at about 5%. Quitting at 50% would have been the worst-case scenario, because then I would have put in a lot of investment and gotten zero payoff. I did think there were some good scenes toward the end. That being said, did I enjoy the book?...I am the cheerleader...so...I'm gonna pass on that question.

Kenya: Richelle can write, but we all know that. I think she was being more experimental this time, and it just didn't work.


Dara: The concept of the book was good, but my major problem was the snooze fest. The characters just didn't make me want to care about them. I still love Richelle, just not this book.


Kenya: I mean seriously? WTF, Richelle? WTF?

Megan: I can't really think of anything about the book that I liked.

Megan: I didn't get the impression that Justin was a doctor or whatever in the beginning. That just didn't fit how she presented him.

Alicia: He wasn't a doctor. Where did you get doctor from?

Kenya: He was a scientist.

Alicia: No, he wasn't. Wow, people. Wow.

Megan: Yes, but he had a doctorate title is what I mean.

Kenya: Wtf was he?

Dara: He was boring.

Kenya: He talked to people in his head. And he invented shit.

Megan: Lol @ the crows in his head!

Kenya: Oh, they were crows?

Dara: The crows were messengers of the Gods. Or I'm guessing since I didn't finish reading it.

Kenya: I thought they were spirits in his head. The shit isn't clear.

Alicia: You're right, Dara! Gold star,

Dara: Yay! Gold Star! Whoot-whoot!

Alicia: Messengers from just one god, actually.

Dara: See, I didn't need to read it.

Alicia: He's a "servitor." His job was basically make sure religious cults stayed in line, and to take away their licenses to practice as needed.

Kenya: Yeah but before that. He was a doctor.

Megan: I thought he was just nuts.

Alicia: I don’t think he was a doctor.

Kenya: He was so a fucking doctor!

Megan: They called him Dr. Whateverhisnamewas.

Kenya: Thanks, Megan. You tell her!

Alicia: You didn't even read the book. Shush. You know nothing, Kenya Wright.

Kenya: You know nothing, Alicia Snow!

Dara: He wasn't a doctor, guys. Just like, technically, you can call anyone with a PhD a doctor. Smh.

Alicia: Thank you, Dara. He wasn't a medical doctor!

Megan: Right, he had his doctorate though?

Dara: He was an equivalent of a profiler of some sort.

Kenya: That's what I meant.

Megan: Can we start calling me Dr. Megan? I think I am more qualified than Justin.

Kenya: But didn't he invent stuff beforehand?

Dara: Dr. Dara has a nice ring to it. ;)

Alicia: I have a Master's. You may call me Master Alicia. Thanks for your cooperation.


Kenya: So…Bukkake…

Dara: Call me Domme Dara. ;)

Alicia: I think we're done beating this dead horse. We’re not even interested in the book enough to actually discuss it.

Kenya: Yes. Dear god!

Alicia: Star ratings, people. How much did you hate it? I bet Dara declines to rate, ‘cause she's a pussy.

Dara: I'm back to my "no comment" policy. ;)

Alicia: Told ya so.

Megan: I don't really even want to rate it...but I will give it one star.


Kenya: I give this 1 star.


Dara: Don't care. You can call me whatever. :p

Alicia: Okay, pussy.

Kenya: Smdh. So mature, Alicia.

Alicia: That's Master Alicia

Kenya: Dear god.

Megan: Oh hell.

Kenya: What is your star rating, Alicia?

Alicia: 2 stars :-/


Kenya: Smdh. Why a second star? Such a suck up.

Dara: Wow, after all of that only 2 stars?

Alicia: I know *hangs head* worst cheerleader ever.

Kenya: Ever!

Megan: You're off the squad!

Alicia: The squad makes me work too hard anyway. It's tough work cheering for a losing team.

Kenya: Well at least I know you have taste.

Dara: Now we can put this book behind us and forget it ever existed. Except in my nightmares.

Erotic Romance Inspiration through Hip Hop.

Advance Reader Copies are available, Request it HERE

I love all types of music, but when people see me on a day to day basis they're thinking. . .

"Hey that's that weird, hippy chick with the flip flops and shirts with crude sayings on the front." 

"Isn't she like the only person in Miami that screams out Thom Yorke lyrics in the drop-off line of her kids' elementary school?"

"Does she even know she's black?"

I do.

Kind of. . .

Look. 

I spent my entire teens and and early twenties, spouting out rap lyrics that talked about how black women are hoes and sluts and blah blah! I love the classic stuff and even some of the few hip hop artists out today. But nowadays, I pretty much only listen to odd alternative craziness!

So one day I'm talking to D.T. Dyllin

Me: Dude, we have to write a book together!

D.T.: Sounds good. What should we do? I vote steam punk!

Me: Hmmm. Let's do some crazy dark, gritty futuristic world with like people flying and shit, and tons of androids all over the place.

D.T.: Uh. . .ooookaaayyy. I just want the female to be strong and alpha. And I want to have awesome clothes.

So as I'm chatting with her, this video comes on my tv called "Bag of Money" by Wale featuring Rick Ross, and a bunch of other guys I don't usually listen to.

Yet. . .the lyrics just hit me!

My bitch bad, looking like a bag of money.

My bitch bad, looking like a bag of money.

I go and get it, and I let her count it for me.

I do her good, and she always ride it for me.

Granted, this is not Yeats. lol! But in my mind I see this wicked female that no man can handle or tame, the type of women that D.T. wants to write on our project.

And so I listen some more.

She got me caught up in the moment

She bad, she bad bad bad.

D.T. and I start talking and talking. . . by that time, I'm constantly replaying this freaking "Bag of Money" video on youtube.

Days pass.

We're emailing suggestions back and forth.

I can't remember who says it, but I think D.T. says, "Let's do a futuristic Bonnie and Clyde!"

And I say, "let's have the hero with an artificial eye."

And I'm still playing the video over and over and over. . . 

Finally, it is my turn to start the book's first chapter. I'm nervous, yet I play the song. . .the first scene comes to me immediately...

I see a strip club, in the future. . .and my hero getting ready to rob it., and the whole time that video played in the background.

CHAPTER ONE

My dick pressed against my pants—hard, long, and ready—

but it wasn't the nude girls dancing around me with luscious

curves and jeweled skin that incited the erection. It was

the hit—the guns my brothers and I wielded in our hands

charged with siphons, the electronic currency stuffed in

the pockets of drooling men who copped a touch of the

dancers when the bouncers weren't looking, and of course,

it was the rush of the quake I’d just snorted.

Heart-pounding music drummed in my ears. The song

had a heavy bass and an omnichord melody. Something

similar to the music I played before my criminal activities

shift ed from a past-time thing to a full-time necessity, prior

to Mom’s death, and well before Dad’s mental demise. Our

parents birthed ten kids. My brothers and I were the oldest.

When Mom and Dad died, we became parents overnight.

Shitty parents.

“Epic, are you okay?” Toy nudged my shoulder. . .

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller (5 stars)

PARALLEL
by Lauren Miller
Publication: May 14, 2013
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Parallel blew my mind.

I went into this book thinking it would be young adult science fiction, which is a genre I love. It was. But it was also a romance novel that was both heart-breaking and heart-mending. I stayed up all night to finish this book because I had to know that Abby would find her soulmate in the end.

The primary complication to Abby's love life is the fact that her world collided with a parallel one a year ago. As a result, her present state is determined by choices her parallel self made in the past. Unfortunately, Abby suspects that her parallel self isn't exactly like her, so her parallel's choices don't always land Abby where she wants to be. She fears that one day she'll wake up and her love life will have been rewritten, and she'll be the only one who remembers how things are supposed to be. In the end, will she find her soulmate regardless of the path she's on?

It was 1:00 in the morning, and I was just about to put this book down after promising myself I would do so an hour earlier. Then this happened:


Yep, Parallel ripped my heart out and crushed it. So I had to keep reading until I finished the book, fighting with myself not to flip to the end to make sure everything was going to be okay.

Luckily, at the the conclusion, I was here:


Otherwise . . . well, let's just say I had a plan to hunt down and harass author Lauren Miller until she rewrote the ending. Lucky for her, I was more than satisfied.

I don't think all readers will enjoy the science babble explaining the entanglement of two parallel worlds. Personally, I thought this was a pretty cool aspect of the book. But even those who get a giant headache from the science babble can still enjoy the intensity of feelings that Abby has for her boyfriend—and that Abby's parallel has for her boyfriend.

The one thing I didn't absolutely love love love about Parallel is that I think I found a small glitch in the rubber science. If Abby and everyone in her world are getting the memories of their parallels, as theorized, then their parallels shouldn't be able to affect their physical properties. Abby shouldn't have scars from her parallel's injuries, and she shouldn't be in Connecticut just because her parallel went there instead of moving to California. This little glitch bothered me a bit. But you know what, Parallel? I still love you.


Most of my favorite books are action-heavy fantasy and science fiction novels. Parallel is now added to my favorites as one of the few romance novels I absolutely adored. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to young adult science fiction readers who like romance, as well as to contemporary romance readers. Just be prepared to put your heart on the line.

Thanks to HarperCollins for the free ARC of this title, provided through Edelweiss.

March New Releases Giveaway Hop (International)

I truly love blog hops! It's a great way to discover new blogs and books as well as WIN STUFF!

From March 15-31

Fantasy Floozies will be participating in the 

New Release Giveaway Hop (International)!

Floozies and Floozers! 

There are some hot books coming out this March, baby! 
I wanted to keep it down to three books, but F%*# that! 

How can I pick?

Somehow I narrowed it down to SEVEN hot books from different genres! (Sadly) The winner must pick ONE from this tribe of ripe entertainment. You may pick ebook or print (if it is available in print).

Note: An international winner can pick print only if the Book Depository ships to them.

So what am I offering to you sexy book addicts?

In Adult Fantasy we have:

As the son of the forgotten fourth Fate, Lady Fortuna, Nyx has been hunted his entire life by the three Sisters of Fate that murdered his mother.

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop creates a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans. 

Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. 

In YA FANTASY/SCI-FI, we have:

Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town.

A heart-stopping Sci-fi story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. 

New Adult Paranormal Romance:

College student Rena finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast. Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. 

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Book Review: Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau

Caught in Amber
by Cathy Pegau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recently out of rehab, Sasha James is determined to keep her head down, complete her parole and never touch amber again. The chip in her neck controls her cravings for the highly addictive drug, but also tracks her every move. Not that she goes anywhere other than work and the halfway house she calls home—a far cry from her luxurious former life as lover of the mining colony's top drug dealer, Guy Christiansen.

Agent Nathan Sterling has no desire to see Sasha fall back into amber, but his sister has become Guy's latest conquest and the unexpectedly attractive Sasha is the key to getting her back. So in exchange for an introduction, he offers Sasha the one thing she can't refuse—her freedom. From the chip, her parole and even the planet if she wants. Though he would be sorry to see her go…

Torn between her growing attraction to Nathan, fear of Guy and the allure of amber, Sasha accepts. But who will save her if Guy refuses to let her go a second time?

This book is awesome. This is probably the best adult sci-fi I've read since



First we have. . .a bold heroine getting over a captivating drug called Amber.



and also trying to stay away from the hot sexy drug dealer that got her hooked on the stuff to begin with.



Then another guy makes her an offer. One that will have the poor heroine not only around Amber, but around the sexy drug dealer. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the other guy is a hottie too.

Put all of that together and you have one sexy book in the set back of great sci-fi world building.



The book won't win a Nebula, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat and heat up your core.