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Thursday 16 April 2015

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - Never Sleep by Cady Vance



Never Sleep
Author: Cady Vance
Publication Date: March 15th, 2015
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Book Description:
Thora Green had a life once upon a time. But that ended the day her parents enrolled her in a sleep clinic prison. At the facility, her chronic months-long insomnia is observed by scads of doctors, but she is never actually treated for her dire disease. In a feat of desperation, Thora escapes for New York City. Buried deep in the city’s underbelly, there is rumored to be a secret haven called the Insomniac CafĂ©: a place where people like Thora can find relief.

As Thora joins forces with Aiden and Florence, two fellow insomniacs, their midnight quest will take them from the dusty bookshelves of The Strand, to the smokey underground clubs in the Lower East Side, to countless taxi and subway rides. Clues leading to their final destination are waiting for them at every turn. But so are Sleepers—a powerful core of sworn-enemies to all Insomniacs—who wish to see Thora and her friends destroyed at any cost.

Buy Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24490083-never-sleep?ac=1

Excerpt

When Odin and I step inside The Strand, my eyes sweep the store. I almost expect to see someone inside, hard gaze focused on every person who enters. But everyone is too engrossed in their own world to notice me and my brother, and I feel my shoulders relax, my attention shifting to the towering shelves rising up to a vaulted ceiling. The strong aroma of musty pages fills my nostrils so much, I feel as if I’m walking through an old storybook, sheets filled with impossible adventures and fantastical far-off places.
“What should we do next?” I whisper to Odin, whose gaze is tripping around the store.

He keeps his voice low when he answers, edging me forward with the slightest push against my elbow. “Find Gemma. Find the clue. We just need to look around.”

I grit my teeth and keep moving forward, sure we’ll somehow be spotted. But, at the same time, I’m starting to feel a little better, a little more hopeful. And the sharp bitterness stinging my insides has faded, like its tiny knives have been dulled by hope.

Pushing through the crowd milling around the tables of featured books and staff picks, my gaze is pulled up and around in an unsuccessful attempt to drink in the sight of so many books. They crowd every spare inch of space, stuffed shelves creating a maze of words and crinkling pages.

Odin’s hand becomes a vise grip on my elbow. Dread weighs on my head, but before I can turn to see what has caused my brother alarm, he pushes me up the red staircase. My feet feel like lead weights, but I don’t dare slow down.
“Those guys are here. The ones in black. The Sleepers,” he says into my ear when we reach the landing halfway between the first floor and the next. “Keep moving. One of them is standing by the exit so we’ll have to find another way out of here.”
My heart twinges again. “Another way out?”
“There’s gotta be another way out.”
“Did they see us?” I ask, stumbling as we hurry up the rest of the stairs. My fingers slide along the banister to steady my wobbling knees. The stress of the chase and the lack of sleep is having a serious effect on my body, but I don’t want to say anything to Odin, knowing there’s nothing he can do for me right now anyway.
“There’s a lot of people in here.” We reach the end of the next floor, and I brace myself as we finally take a look down the stairs behind us. Breath whooshes out of me. There’s no one else there other than browsing book lovers. The Sleepers didn’t see us after all.
“Maybe there’s some way off this floor. A fire escape or something.” My eyes sweep across the store as we inch away from the staircase. A few women browsing at a table of art books glance up and give me and my brother a once-over before hesitantly returning their attention back to the books. One of them frowns and whispers to her friends. I have an eerie feeling they’re talking about me.
“We’re attracting too much attention,” Odin whispers.
Something in my peripheral vision turns my spine into a popsicle stick. Two boys stand at the back edge of the store, hovering by the wall. They aren’t the ones from the Clinic, but they’re dressed the same, and even though they look completely normal other than their all-black ensemble, I can tell by their stiff, bouncer-like posture, they aren’t.
One, wearing black-rimmed glasses, takes a step forward when he sees me. The other stays rooted to his spot, and the look on his face sends a bucket of ice over my heart. Dark brown, shaggy hair, the most intense blue eyes I’ve ever seen contrasted against sun-kissed skin. Dark, dark jeans. Black tee. I take a step back, stumbling into Odin. The boy is staring at me so intently, I cannot find my breath. His hands are fists of anger at his sides.
“Stairs,” I manage to breathe out. 
 


About the Author
Cady Vance is the author of YA and NA speculative fiction. After growing up in small-town Tennessee, she decided to embark on a grand adventure by packing up her bags and moving to NYC. Now, she studies for her PhD in the UK and dreams of seeing the universe.

Author Links:




***GIVEAWAY***

A paperback copy of Never Sleep.
A "Dreaming of New York" sleep mask. 
International. Ends April 23rd.


Book Blitz Organised by:
http://www.xpressobooktours.com/

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for being on the tour, Alecia! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds interesting and has such a beautiful cover. I look forward to reading Never Sleep. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete