Worlds Collide (Sunset Rising #2) by S. M. McEachern
Publication date: March 3rd 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Synopsis:
In a desperate attempt to escape execution, Sunny O’Donnell and Jack Kenner find a way out of the Pit and into a world still believed to be toxic with radiation. Under the brilliant sun for the first time in their lives, they not only discover that the earth has healed from nuclear war, but there are people outside the Dome.
In Worlds Collide, the second book of the Sunset Rising trilogy, Sunny and Jack must continue a life of subterfuge in order to stay alive and find a way to free the Pit. But in their attempt to save the urchins, they uncover the horrifying truth about President Holt and the evil he could unleash on the world.
Excerpt:
With a start I woke,
sensing something different. Disoriented, I looked around the room. It was
dimly lit in a foreign way—as if someone turned half a light on. In the Pit,
the lights were either on or off. There was no in-between. A sliver of yellow
filtered through the slit in the curtains and fell across the bed. I put my
hand into the stream of light. It was warm.
After a night spent
clinging to the side of the mattress, my muscles were stiff. Slowly I stretched
out my limbs and felt Jack beside me. At least I had stayed on my side.
Quietly, I rolled off the
bed and padded to the window to look outside. The top of the sun was barely
visible above the mountains, but already its fingers were reaching out and
stealing the darkness from night. It was already too bright to tolerate and I
reached for my sunglasses on the bedside table. Jack was awake, his blue eyes
quietly regarding me.
“Want to see your first
sunrise?” I asked.
He left the bed and came to
stand behind me and I pulled the curtains open wider. In the backyard a bird
was singing, heralding the arrival of a new day. I searched the trees for the
creature but couldn’t see it. Then it flew to another tree, flashing its red
wings. Another bird joined it and together they chirped, their throats
pulsating.
Jack’s arms circled my
waist. “Amazing,” he whispered against my ear.
I relaxed into him, resting
my head against the side of his. As the rising sun caressed my face, the warmth
of his bare chest gently pressed against me. It probably wasn’t a good idea
considering our no-romance agreement. But it was the single most beautiful
moment of my entire existence and I was loath to give it up. I put my hands
over his, holding him there.
I’m not sure how long we
stood together at the window, but our fragile bond was broken when a guard
stood up and stretched. We hadn’t noticed him leaning against the back of the
house. Jack dropped his arms and stepped away from me. I shivered from the cool
air that rushed in to take the place of his body heat.
Purchase:
Sunset Rising:
Worlds Collide:
AUTHOR BIO
S.M. McEachern was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. She attended Dalhousie University in the 1990s where she earned an Honours Degree in International Development Studies. She worked in the field of International Development for several years, specializing in ocean development."Sunset Rising" is S.M. McEachern's first novel. She says the idea for the story first came to her in the 1990s when she researched a Bio-Dome experiment in Arizona for an academic paper. The thought that the world might one day need a Bio-Dome to escape a global catastrophe set her imagination into overdrive. And the ethics behind such an idea formed the backdrop for Sunset Rising.
Her goal in writing the novel is to entertain the reader with an interesting plot and colourful characters.
Author links:
Interview:
2014 has been a big
year for your writing career. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes, it has been big a year for me. For one thing, I
published the second book of the “Sunset Rising” series, entitled “Worlds
Collide”, last March. I was happily surprised when it rocketed up the Amazon
ranking chart and maintained a spot in the top ten Amazon action and adventure
romance bestseller list for months. That in turn attracted new hybrid-publisher
Vook to ask me about acquiring the Sunset Rising series. After a few phone
calls, many emails, and a lot of deliberation, I signed with Vook. I’m very
happy I did.
I’m also working on the third book of my series, tentatively
titled “New World Order”, which I plan to release in January 2015.
In the past, you’ve
blogged about enjoying being an indie author, but you signed with Vook?
I have to admit, I do like having control over my books.
When I want to do a promotion, or put the books on sale, or give the books away
if I want to, I don’t have to ask permission from a publisher. I can just do
it. So yes, when Vook first approached me I was hesitant to sign with them.
However, Vook is a different kind of publisher; they are a “hybrid publisher.” They
provide an enhanced publishing platform with ongoing marketing support via
proprietary software that tracks ebook sales so authors can make better and
more informed marketing decisions, and authors retain all copyrights and
control over their books.
I officially joined them in July and I have received so much
more than they promised. Vook is a dynamic, enthusiastic team of individuals that
have partnered with me to bring my series to readers through all ebook
retailers at affordable prices. Good for authors and good for readers! And as a
company, they’re growing and constantly investing in themselves and their
authors. For instance, they recently acquired their first publishing imprint,
Byliner. I’m really excited to be a part of Vook, because I truly believe they
are the future of publishing.
Your third book of
the “Sunset Rising” series, tentatively titled “New World Order”, will be
released in January?
That’s the plan. I’m madly writing everyday and no longer
take weekends off! Not that I mind. Writing a book is like reading a good book;
I don’t want to put it down. And this third book has a LOT going on. It’s
definitely the most action-packed of the series, with minor characters from the
first two books sharing Sunny’s spotlight.
You do a lot of
world-building in the series. What’s your process for creating a post
apocalyptic world?
In a nutshell, research and imagination. I love research
because not only does it give me a good, solid foundation to begin my stories,
but it also ignites my imagination. It’s
kind of like taking what is and
projecting what can or could be. So I read a lot of non-fiction
articles and I also reach out to experts, most of whom have been really happy
to help me. Dr. Bergren of the National Institute of Nanotechnology and Chris
Kratt of the Wild Kratts have been two super helpful resources. I’ll be doing
an interview with Chris this weekend, talking about what a post apocalyptic
creature world might look like, and will have it up on my blog by September 18th
if you’re interested in checking it out.
Is your third book
the last one of the “Sunset Rising” series?
The series was named for the heroine, Sunset O’Donnell
(Sunny), and the first three books are told from her point of view (spoiler
alert: there’s another person sharing the story in book 3!). But as I said
above, I’ve gone to great lengths to create a new world. I can definitely see
more books told from other characters points of view as they reinvent their civilization
and explore a post nuclear earth. And with recruiters, scorchlanders, and
northerners out there, who knows what they’ll find…
Note from author:
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog and giving me
the opportunity to talk about all the exciting things happening with the
“Sunset Rising” series. For anyone who hasn’t read the series, the first book “Sunset Rising” is on sale everywhere for
just 99 cents from September 16-24, 2014. I also have seven satellite
stories (short stories based on the series) posted on my blog you can check out
here: http://smmceachern.com/category/satellite-stories/
The first six stories were written in between books one and two; the seventh
story is more recent and picks up between books two and three. I always love to
hear from readers, so if you do check out the series, please feel free to get
in touch and let me know what you think!
Cheers – Susan (aka S.M. McEachern)
Giveaway:
Thanks very much for hosting the giveaway and also for bringing this book to my attention :)
ReplyDeleteGood Job and Good Choice!!