Lake Of Sins: Hangman's Army
by L.S. O’Dea
The author will be awarding a Kindle Paperwhite to a randomly drawn winner (International winner) during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Interview with L.S. O’Dea:
Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting L.S. O’Dea. Welcome! I'm so happy to have you here today. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?
L.S.: Sure. I have always wanted to be an author but I spent years doing nothing about it. I used to pretend that there were legitimate reasons that I didn’t put fingers to keyboard and write, but the truth is that I was afraid. Afraid of failure. If I didn’t try, I could always make up stories in my head about being a famous author. Also, writing is a lot of work. Between my day job and writing I barely have time to take care of my house (I’m not a very good housekeeper anyway) and yard. My pets always come before writing – they have to, but the rest is usually pushed aside until I absolutely have to do it.
I’m also a very honest person. I’m brutally honest with myself and try to help others be honest with themselves. Lying to yourself doesn’t get you anything but unhappiness. Look hard at yourself and change what you don’t like or accept it and move on. Life’s too short to be unhappy.
Crystal: What are you currently working on?
L.S.: I’m working on books four and five in the Lake of Sins series. There will be at least six books in the series. Book six is completed but it’s very rough and will need a lot of “fleshing out”, so it may become books six and seven.
Betrayed, book four in the series, is already in the second to last editing stage so I’m on track for my anticipated summer 2017 release. I’m hoping to also release book five at the same time. When Betrayed ends, the characters are kind of scattered (think Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Ring) and I believe readers will be happier if book five is also available as soon as they finish book four.
Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for either your current release or your current WIP?
L.S.: I’m really not sure. The idea (the secret that’s discovered at the end of Escape) has been kicking around in my head for years. When I signed up for a writing course back in 2012, I had to settle on one idea and this was the winner. But once I started writing, the book took on a life of its own. Characters changed into something so much more than I’d ever imagined and the world just kept growing and growing.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite snack that like to munch on while writing? If so would you mind sharing what it is with us?
L.S.: I really don’t eat when writing. I don’t do anything when writing – no music, no TV, nothing. I do have a favorite snack though. I love, absolutely love Pepsi. Even on my diet, I make room for my one Pepsi a day. Right now, I like Pepsi and pretzels but a year or so ago it was Pepsi and popcorn. I lived on popcorn for years but now eat it only occasionally.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?
L.S.: There are a lot of fun and exciting scenes but I especially love the interaction between Hugh and Trinity, so I’ll share one of those.
“We can talk about it later. Now, we need to get off this building.” Trinity walked over to the rope. “You first.”
“We can talk about it later. Now, we need to get off this building.” Trinity walked over to the rope. “You first.”
“No. I told you. I’m going last,” said Hugh.
“I’m not some Guard trained to take orders from an Almighty.” She poked him in the chest with her claw.
“You may look grown up, but you haven’t changed at all. You’re still a stubborn brat.” She’d always been like this, as irritating as a piece of dirt in his eye, but arguing with her wouldn’t work. He should’ve remembered that. After the Night of the Trackers, they’d spent a little time together and she’d refused to do anything he’d said unless he’d tricked her with logic. It might work again, but first he’d have to say he was sorry. He took a deep breath. He didn’t want to apologize for being right, but he wanted to die less. “You’re right.” He swore the words actually burned. “I’m…sorry.”
She continued to glare at him but her posture relaxed a bit.
Now, he had to sell it. “I’ll slow you down.”
“You’re slowing me down right now by not doing what I tell you.”
So much for logic. “The day that I take orders from you—”
“If you go after me and you slip, you’ll knock me off the rope. It’s safer for me to go last.”
She had a point and that annoyed him even more. “I’m not leaving you up here by yourself.” He held up his hand to stop her from talking. He didn’t think he could take any more of her attitude or insults. “I’ll go first, but only if you agree to follow right after me. Don’t wait until I’m halfway down.”
“Agreed.”
He opened and shut his mouth. This was the first time that she’d ever agreed to anything he’d said or suggested. He wasn’t sure what to do. He had other points to make. They were all lined up in his head.
“We should get going,” she said. “Unless you want to get caught?”
“Ah, there’s the Trinity I know.” He grabbed the rope, letting his eyes roam up and down her frame. “For a moment I thought you might’ve grown up a bit, but I was mistaken.” He stepped over the rail. It was a long way down. Very long. His head spun. From the distance or the knock he’d received when he was wrestling with the Guard, he wasn’t positive. He had to take that first step off the ledge, but his legs refused to move away from the solid structure beneath his feet and into the open air. He swallowed. He was dead if he didn’t move, but they wouldn’t kill him immediately, whereas if he slipped and fell, it was over. He had to convince Trinity to go first because he was pretty sure that he couldn’t do this. He turned to face her.
“Today.” Her golden eyes gleamed with something. Laughter? Triumph?
“Give me a second.” Somehow, this had become a competition between them and he refused to lose. He took a deep breath, willing the dizziness away.
“No. I meant that today is the day that you take orders from me.” She grinned, showing her long, white fangs.
“You little shit.” He wanted, no needed to get as far away from that smug face as possible. He stepped backward off the side of the building. His stomach dropped and he almost pissed as he fell. The only thing keeping his bladder clenched was the fact that he’d never hear the end of it from the others, especially Tim. His feet scrambled for purchase on the wall and found it.
“Don’t look down,” she said. “Keep watching the wall until you run out of rope.”
“I could’ve lived my entire life without hearing those words.” He didn’t want to think of the drop. That wasn’t going to feel good.
“Don’t be such a baby.”
“A baby! You have no idea what I went through in this place.” He’d been beaten to within an inch of his life. He was not a baby.
“Then you shouldn’t have any problem dropping from a rope.”
He glared up at her and his mouth went dry. All he could see were her long legs and her nicely rounded backside. It’d been years since he’d seen such a sight.
“Keep moving or is the poor Almighty tired already.”
“I don’t remember you being such a bi…” He stopped. She was Tim’s daughter and she’d risked her life to save him.
“Such a what?” She looked down at him over her shoulder. “Joy? Sweetheart?” She grinned.
“Yeah. That’s it exactly.” He started down the wall again, grumbling under his breath. “Sorry that I’m not used to climbing down buildings like you, the queen of the forest.”
“I like that. The queen of the forest. You should call me that all the time.”
He’d forgotten how good a House Servant’s hearing was.
“Move faster.” She’d almost caught up with him.
“I’m going as fast as I can.”
“Oh yeah, you’re an Almighty. Weak and slow.”
He moved faster, needing to get away from her before he said something he’d regret. He’d been weak and slow but he wasn’t anymore. That’d changed in prison. He was stronger now and more focused. He picked up his pace even more. The workouts were paying off. He glanced up and Trinity was farther away. He grinned. She was moving fast but he was keeping his distance. “Not as slow as you thought, huh?”
She ignored him and continued down the rope.
“What? Nothing to say now that I’m winning. I never figured you to be a sore loser, but I should’ve.” She didn’t reply, but her back was straighter than before. He was getting on her nerves. Good because she sure got on his. She was nothing but trouble, an attractive know-it-all who refused to listen to anyone. His hand met the end of the rope. It was still a long way to the ground.
Jackson waited alongside the building with Tim. They were both flat against the wall, trying not to be seen.
“Drop. You’ll be fine.” Her voice was soft, no longer acidic and mocking.
He couldn’t deal with her being kind to him. They’d done so well bickering. The trip had been fast and he hadn’t thought much about the danger. “I’m an Almighty. My kind doesn’t always land on their feet.”
“Let go,” she said, a hint of anger in her voice.
“I will.” His hands tightened on the rope. A fall like this could break something.
“Now,” she snapped. “Or I’ll kick you in the face and say a prayer that you land on your head.”
Her foot waved above his head. He wouldn’t put it past her to do what she threatened. She’d probably enjoy it. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, pushed back with his feet and let go. He was free. It was glorious. No chains. No cell. Just the air and the sky and…the ground. He hit hard, his legs taking the brunt of the fall. He rolled onto his back as Jackson’s hand grabbed his and pulled him to his feet. He touched his face, the impact of his landing still rattled through his teeth. Trinity dropped gracefully next to him. He hated House Servants, every last one of them.
Crystal: When you are not busy writing wonderful stories to keep us lucky readers entertained, what do you like to do? Do you have a hobby?
L.S.: I wish I had time for a hobby. Unfortunately, I still have to work my day job (the place I work is great though, so that’s good) and with that plus taking care of my animals (five dogs and four cats), exercising, trying to keep the house somewhat livable and the yard decent (I have five acres), plus writing, editing and marketing, I don’t have time for anything else. I barely even watch TV anymore.
Sorry, I’m so boring.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?
Crystal: Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?
L.S.: No, but background noise doesn’t bother me either. I live alone but my niece’s kids come and visit once a month and I’ve worked while they watch TV. Once I’m in the story, not much breaks my concentration. That’s probably a remnant of when I lived with my sister and her three daughters while studying for my Microsoft Systems Certification. I learned to tune everything out but the noises in my head.
Crystal: Thanks for visiting. It has been a pleasure having you visit today. Can you think of anything else you would like to share with us today?
Crystal: Thanks for visiting. It has been a pleasure having you visit today. Can you think of anything else you would like to share with us today?
L.S.: I just want to remind everyone to enter the contest for the Kindle Paperwhite. Plus, book one Lake of Sins: Escape is free on Amazon (http://myBook.to/LOS_Escape ) and all other major ebook retailers (https://books2read.com/u/4Xgn21 ).
Book two, Lake of Sins: Secrets In Blood, is free if you join my mailing list (http://lsodea.com/yourfreebooks-2/ ). I only send out two emails a month and I often offer special giveaways
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
BLURB:
A rebellion is brewing in the world of the Lake of Sins while Hugh Truent sits in prison days away from his execution.
After taking his findings about the genetic similarities between the classes to the Supreme Almighty and the Council, Hugh had been arrested for treason and all his evidence had vanished as if made from smoke.
To protect his family, he cut off all contact with the outside world while he sat in prison for over four years waiting for his execution. He has no idea that some of his reports were leaked to the other classes and that civil war looms on the horizon.
Trinity and her friends have no hope of winning the war unless they can unite the classes. In order to do that, they need someone everyone will follow. They need the one person all the classes trust and believe in. They need Hugh.
That means they have to break him out of a maximum security prison and convince him to lead their army, but that won’t be easy because Hugh wants revenge and he’s not going to let anything get in his way especially mouthy, attractive, know-it-all Trinity.
GENRE: YA, Dystopian Fantasy
Buy Links:
This book is the third in the series--and the series should be read in order. The first two books is the series are FREE.
Amazon Links
draft2digital
escape = https://books2read.com/u/4Xgn21
secrets = https://books2read.com/u/bo6Dn9
hangman = https://www.books2read.com/u/bzpA5Z
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
EXCERPT:
Trinity
As soon as they were all together, she headed toward the Mile of Fire. It grew hotter with every step and the air became acrid, burning her nose and throat. Sweat no longer trickled down her back; it was a full-blown downpour.
“Are you sure the rocks are cold?” asked Jackson.
“I never said cold. I said they shouldn’t burn us to crisps.”
“I’m pretty sure you said they wouldn’t burn us at all,” said Hugh. “I don’t recall the clarification of to a crisp.”
“Stop whining. You’re out of jail. You should be happy.” He was going to drive her crazy. The sooner he and Dad separated from them the better.
“I’ve been beaten, accused of treason and sentenced to execution without complaint but I’m whining because I don’t want to be burnt to something just a little less than crispy?”
“Yeah. You don’t hear anyone else complaining. Do you?” Good thing she had her back to him because she couldn’t keep the half-smile off her face. He had the irritating gift of being funny and annoying at the same time. She slowed down. She wasn’t ready for this, but here it was.
The Mile of Fire loomed ahead. Its shimmering waves of heat almost unbearable. The five of them were drenched in sweat, although the closer they got to the rocks the quicker the sweat was drying. Small puffs of steam were coming off her clothes. It was the same for the others. If they didn’t stop sweating they were going to be basted in their own juices. Of course, if they did stop sweating they’d be dried like old fruit left in the sun. They had to move fast.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
L. S. O’Dea grew up the youngest of seven in a family that uses teasing and tricks as an indication of love (or at least that’s what she tells herself). Being five years younger than her closest sibling often made her the unwilling entertainment for her brothers and sisters.
Before she started kindergarten her brothers taught her how to spell her first and middle name—Linda Sue. She was so proud she ran into the kitchen to tell her mother. She stood tall and recited the letters of her name: L-E-M-O-N H-E-A-D.
She’s pretty sure she has her siblings to thank for the demons that lurk in her mind, whispering dark and demented stories.
Website: http://www.lsodea.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lsodea
twitter https://twitter.com/lsodea
email: lsodea7@gmail.com
Join Readers’ Group and Get the First Two Books in the Lake of Sins Series for FREE
Thanks for hosting :)
ReplyDeleteWow, sneaky brothers, lol. Thanks for the giveaway and good luck on the tour!
ReplyDelete