Book Blitz: The red sector chronicles di Krystle Jones + giveaway

Buongiorno ^^ Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; oggi vi presento una serie young adult paranormal distopica, spero possa piacervi :) 

Titolo: The red sector chronicles

Autore: Krystle Jones

Genere: Young adult paranormal, romance, distopica
Trama: The strength of Sloane’s heart is about to be put to the ultimate test.
After the Eclipse – the night vampires began openly slaughtering human victims – everything changed. Out of fear, the government salvaged what remained of the human population and enclosed them in massive, security-laden cities called White Sectors, while marking the vampire infested territory as Red Sectors.
When seventeen-year-old Sloane McAllister’s twin brother disappears, she seems to be the only one who thinks he isn’t dead, and she vows to stop at nothing to find him. Gathering her courage, she braves the Red Sector to search for clues to his whereabouts. By chance, she encounters Aden, a handsome, charismatic vampire with a hidden agenda. He turns Sloane against her will and whisks her away to his underground city. Enemies quickly become friends as Sloane struggles against her attraction to Aden, and resists her growing loyalties to the creatures that ruined her life.
But the vampires themselves are the least of her problems. A war is brewing between the humans and vampires, along with a growing web of deceit and betrayal. And before it’s all over, loyalties will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one’s lives will ever be the same.

Krystle Jones was born and raised in the small, southern town of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Reading and writing have been lifelong passions of hers. In addition to being a novelist, she is also an award-winning flutist, and moonlights as a voice actress. Her voice can be heard in the popular online game, Alice is Dead 3.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

ESTRATTI

#1

A sickly yellow school bus, limping on two deflated tires, sat in the middle of an intersection. As I crept alongside it, keeping to its shadow, I caught the outline of a black form moving above me, its hunkered shape slinking along the top of the bus like a cat hunting a mouse.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I wheeled around, cocking the pistol, only to find nothing. There was no nightmarish creature waiting to pounce.

My breath grew more ragged as my heart rate sped up, throbbing painfully inside my ears until it was the only sound I heard. In the windows of the bus, my reflection was still aiming the pistol at the roof of the vehicle. Shadows were at my back, save for a flash of crimson eyes.

I drew a sharp breath and dropped to the ground, spinning around on the balls of my feet as the vampire lunged out of the darkness, a rabid snarl erupting from its oversized throat. The gunshot was silent as death, and time seemed to slow as the vampire changed direction at the last second before the bullet hit, tearing a bright red gash into its bared rib cage. The vampire sailed over me, and I followed its path with the pistol, firing again as the creature shrieked and hit the ground. Quick as a shadow, it scuttled out of the way before the bullet hit home, missing its head and blowing a hole in its side, spraying the ground with black blood. The vampire latched itself on the side of the bus, crawling over the roof like a spider before disappearing from view.

I cursed and went after it. The Scarlet Dagger shined brilliant crimson in the moonlight as I unsheathed and raised it into a defensive position, while gripping the pistol in my other hand. My forefinger jittered against the trigger as I paused at the end of the bus, using the dagger as a mirror to see the other side. Only dirt and a scattering of MISSING CHILD posters lay next to the bus.

Each breath I took made my whole body shake, and I willed my heartbeat to slow as sweat dripped from my forehead onto my chest. Something rapidly clucked its tongue a few feet from me, making a low guttural noise, and I pointed the pistol at the darkness, not seeing anything. A bead of sweat dropped into my eye, and I swiped at it as my vision blurred. I glanced at my hand and did a double take, rubbing the sweat drop between my thumb and forefinger. It was warm and much thicker than it should be.

It was also deep red.

Later, I would be grateful I saw that drop of blood, because it was the only warning I had before the vampire tackled me from the top of the bus, catching me off guard and throwing me to the ground. I landed hard on my back, giving my lungs a jolt as the breath was knocked from me. While I lost hold of the pistol, I managed to bring the dagger up swift enough to block the vampire’s gaping jaws. The creature wasn’t very heavy – little more than sagging, purplish skin and fragile bone – but its speed was nearly too quick for my seemingly sluggish human reflexes, and it was all I could do to keep it at bay as it scratched at my arms and snapped its razor sharp teeth at my neck.

#2

The floorboards behind me creaked ever so slightly, and I drew my pistol, scanning the patches of darkness within the living room. A set of small windows casted squares of red moonlight on the dusty planks. There, so light it was nearly unnoticeable, was a footprint in the dust, much too large to be my own.

Fear, icy and tangible, tapped its claws along my spine and up the base of my neck. I froze for a long second before rushing to the front door, my head screaming, Get out! Get out now!

I was literally inside the doorframe, one foot in the house, one foot out, when a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed me by the throat, slamming me into the wall so hard I lost my breath.

Someone wrested the pistol from my grasp before I could collect enough of my senses to think to fire it. My fingers were so clammy I couldn’t get a hold on my attacker’s hand as I clawed at it, trying to free myself. A thumb pressed into my air tube, and I choked as a tall, lithe silhouette stepped in front of me. The figure’s gaze shifted, its eyes reflecting red like the lenses in a cat’s eyes as it glanced at my right wrist, where the tattoo was bathed in moonlight.

“What are you doing here, hunter?” came the low, musical voice of a man. Though his timbre was soft, there was a steely edge to it. 

I coughed and sputtered, glimpsing the bottom corner of a black leather trench coat and ruling out that my mother’s guard had caught up to me. The Scarlet Guard got their name from their red uniforms… and their thirst for bloodshed. But if this man wasn’t with the Scarlet Guard, then who was he? What was he doing here – in my house, of all places – on the anniversary of the Eclipse?

The figure leaned in. Wispy platinum blond bangs came into view, though his face was still obscured by shadows. He studied me a moment longer before I heard a tiny gasp. “It can’t be…” he whispered in disbelief, and my brows furrowed.

Who is he? Do I know him? He’s not Orion...

My eyes dropped to his slightly agape mouth, and my blood ran cold. There, just visible beneath his upper lip, were the points of two fangs.

A vampire? But he can’t be. He looks so… human.

I thought of the creature I had faced only a few minutes ago, of its animal urge to kill me, and panic fluttered in my chest. In the few short years humans had known vampires existed, never had we seen one that looked exactly like a regular human being. The fact it could talk was stunning; I didn’t even know vampires could speak. Of the two I had faced, they both seemed hell-bent on ripping out my throat first.

Suddenly, the man – the vampire – in front of me seemed twice as dangerous as any monster I had encountered. And he had my pistol.

“What’s your name?” the man asked. His musical voice was cool and soft, and all the more frightening for it.

His thumb released just enough pressure that I could feel my voice box again, and I gulped for air. I had to get out of here and away from him however I could. A wild, irrational thought formed in my mind, and I tried to speak, my words strangled because I could barely breathe.

He leaned in. “What did you say?”

I looked up, a wicked smile on my face. “Trick-or-Treat,” I rasped.

Somehow, the man – or vampire, or whatever he was – had missed the dagger when he subdued me, most likely too focused on the pistol and thinking it to be my only weapon. I brought the dagger straight up, tip first with the serrated side facing out, with the aim of impaling him in the chin.

#3

I heard Dezyre suck in a sharp breath. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “You’re one of them.”

Her voice was so soft, I would have missed it if I didn’t have vampire hearing. What is she talking about?

I turned back toward her. Her face was completely drained of color, and she looked like she might pass out any minute. Her eyes were fixed on my right wrist. My tattoo barely showed above my sleeve, which had slipped down when I’d gone to pay.

Damn! That was careless!

The clerk, completely oblivious to the unfolding drama, handed me back some tiny silver coins with the forget-me-not emblem stamped in the center. Whatever currency they used down here wasn’t anything I was familiar with.

I masked my alarm with boredom. “What? This?” I pointed to my wrist before casually pulling the sleeve back down, covering the tattoo. “It’s just some ink. No big deal.”

“That’s the Black Cross.” Dezyre’s voice trembled slightly. “No wonder Aden’s keeping such a close watch on you. You’re a hunter, aren’t you?”

Forcing myself to stay calm, I didn’t let her comments show how close they had hit home. “First I’m incompetent, now I’m dangerous? Please. It’s just a stick-on tattoo that could mean a million different things.” I turned my back. “Maybe you shouldn’t spray so much of that perfume,” I called over my shoulder. “I think the fumes are going to your head.”

I walked off, hoping she wouldn’t report me. I need to eat and get out of here before I’m the one getting staked by Scarlet Steel.

I hurried through the buffet line, which actually had a nice assortment to choose from: two kinds of salad with an island of various dressings, entrées of fried chicken or steak, and a bar full of side items, like steamed veggies and fruit. The most surreal part – and the one that woke me up, reminding me I wasn’t human anymore – was the ice box full of cartons of blood, all labeled by blood type. I guess O negative had a different taste than B positive or something. Shuddering, I meandered away from the ice box.

I’d have to be near death before I’d ever consider drinking blood.

Quickly, I filled up my tray and grabbed a bottle of water. I had started walking back to the booth when my leg caught on something, and I lost my balance.

Everything moved in slow motion. Despite my best efforts, the tray went flying, and my plate shattered on the ground as I began to fall. A hand reached out and grabbed my right forearm, jerking it up high in the air. My elbow popped as it hyper extended, and I swore. Razor sharp nails dug into my wrist, which was bare since my sleeve had gathered at the crook of my arm.

I looked up to see who had caught me.

Dezyre’s magenta lips were pulled into a vicious smile. And hovering just above her clasped hand was my cross tattoo, clearly exposed and held high for everyone to see.

“You seem to like it in the spotlight,” she said. “That’s good, because you’re about to be a freaking celebrity.”

There was no time to react. By the time I realized what she was going to do, she had already inhaled a huge breath right before she screamed, “Vampire hunter!”

#4

I opened the door and flipped on the light. At first, I thought it was the smallest closet ever. Then I looked to my right, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. The closet ran behind the entire length of the TV wall, lined with racks, cubbies for shoes, and drawers. For the most part, the racks were empty, save for a few pairs of jeans and some plain shirts.

“All this” – I motioned around the room – “is for me?”

Aden nodded. “Yep. If you don’t like the color –”

“It’s amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Mrs. Knight’s voice floated up the stairs. “Guess I’ll go claim that aspirin,” Aden said. “There are clean towels in the bathroom if you want to shower.” He turned to leave.

“Hey,” I said.

He paused, quirking a brow in that quizzical way of his.

“Sorry I punched you in the face,” I mumbled, shifting my weight.

He tried to grin and then winced, touching his jaw. It was swollen, but I could tell it was already starting to heal. As he looked at me, something in his eyes shifted. “You can make it up to me.”

My brows furrowed.

He walked back, stopping a few inches in front of me. “Go on a date with me.”

I blinked in surprise. That wasn’t what I had expected him to say. “I just punched you in the face, and you want to go out with me?”

“Eh, it’s all relative. The way I see it, it’s not every day I find a girl who can kick my ass. It’s kind of hot.” The non-bruised side of his face lifted into a wry smile.

 I flushed. No one had ever called me “hot” before. My best friends were a bunch of guys, and they treated me like one of the boys. Then again, “hot” wasn’t exactly a compliment in my book. It usually meant “bang-able,” not exactly something a respectable girl wanted to be called.

“So what do you think?” he asked softly.

“No.”

“No?”

I firmly shook my head. “No way. Not in your wildest dreams.”

The look on his face said he clearly wasn’t used to being blown off. His eyes held mine as he reached up to cradle my cheek. “Then I guess I’ll have to change your mind.”

I swatted his hand away and turned around before he could see me blush anymore. He chuckled, and I was afraid he’d push the topic, but a few seconds later I heard the door close.

My heart beat wildly. What was the matter with me? This was the guy who ruined my life, so shouldn’t I hate him? I tried to make sense of my feelings.

“All right, sure,” I said to myself, pacing. “You’re attracted to him. It’s perfectly natural. He’s handsome, he’s surprisingly sweet, he’s…”

He had been very kind to me, which was the exact opposite of the picture the government and my memories had painted for us. Vampires should be wild, feral creatures whose sole purpose was to prey on humans. But Aden and his mother, Paris, Rook and Angel, this place… they seemed normal, almost human, with the exception of the charming General Frost.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, more confused than when I’d started.

#5

Stale air rushed up and we all gagged.

“Whoa,” Rook said, covering his mouth with his arm. “Smells like something died.”

Orion wrinkled his nose. “Probably just an animal.”

A bolt of fear surged through me as I took in the decay coating the air. I wanted to run but I was helpless, trapped inside the other Sloane’s body as she pasted on a bold grin and climbed down the ladder into the basement, covering her nose and mouth with her hand.

It’s like I was there but wasn’t there, a bystander watching the events unfold through 14-year-old Sloane’s mind. This wasn’t simply a dream – it was a memory.

I screamed at her to turn around while she still could, but she took a flashlight from her utility belt as the others joined her/me.

More flashlights flipped on. “Oh, sweet! Check this out.” Rook pointed to a shelf lined with containers. We all shuffled closer to examine them. Most had some sort of liquid in them, though it was too opaque to see much of what was inside. I shined my flashlight on one, and something long and bloated drifted past the edge of the light.

“Oh my God,” I said. “Is that a finger?”

“No freakin’ way!” Orion leaned forward, completely engrossed in my find. I tilted my head ever so slightly, caught Rook’s eye, and winked.

Taking my cue, Rook snuck up behind Orion and grabbed him by the shoulders, screaming into his ear.

Orion leaped about two feet in the air, nearly knocking over the shelves in the process. He rounded on Rook and punched him in the arm so hard he staggered a bit. “You think that was funny, smartass?!” Orion yelled, clenching his fists. His normally mischievous smile was gone, and his eyes had gone steely. I recognized the look on his face, the same craving for bloodshed I saw him get whenever he got into a fight. As much as I loved my brother, I hated the darker side of him, like how he’d pull off butterfly wings because he thought it was funny or said disturbing things like “Wouldn’t it fun to drown Ms. Allerby’s cat? Then it wouldn’t use our yard for a litter box anymore.”

I quickly stepped between them as my brother advanced on Rook. “Back off, Orion,” I said, throwing up my hands. “We were only joking, and you know it.”

Orion blinked at me, and just like that his goofy grin was back. “Hey, I know that,” he said, tapping me on the arm with a playful punch. “Maybe I was just playing too.” He laughed awkwardly, and I let my arms down, giving Rook an apologetic smile. We both knew the risks of hanging out with my brother. His dark mood swings were just part of “the whole package,” but he was largely a good guy and a lot of fun to be around.

Something – a shadow – darted away in the corner of my vision.

I stiffened, scanning the dark. “What was that?”

The others paused, a look of fear crossing their faces before Rook laughed. “It’s probably a rat or something scavenging off of whatever died down here.”

“Yeah, this reeks,” Orion said. “Let’s see what’s upstairs.”

Something about the shadow set me on edge, and I gladly let him pass, dismissing the thought to paranoia and the jitters. We found a rickety looking ladder and climbed the short ascent to the main floor. It looked like we had walked into a parlor.

As far as haunted houses go, this one was pretty damn creepy. Moth-eaten sheets were draped across the furniture, and there was so much dust and dirt floating in the air that it looked like mist. My throat immediately began to itch; it wasn’t long before I started coughing.

“Hey, sis,” Orion said, looking back at me. “Could you tone it down a notch? You’re kind of ruining the mood for me.”

I was about to respond with a rude comment when Rook’s light landed on a chair. There was an odd shape to the sheet lying across it.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing.

Rook moved the light back until it was directly on the chair. At first, I didn’t want to believe what I saw. The folds of the sheet outlined arms and legs and a lowered head.

No one moved, and I knew we were all thinking the exact same thing.

Orion broke the silence. “Is that… a body?”

The sheet stirred, lifting just enough to see long, blackened nails dig into the armrests before a creature straight out of hell pounced on us.

I opened my mouth to scream, but all that came out was a choked gasp for air. There was a roar, almost human, right before Rook and Orion started screaming. Their terror-filled faces burned into my mind as I spun on my heel and ran. 

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