STEAL THE STARS: Power Through Episode Four

Book Nerd Spotlight

THE NOVEL BASED ON THE DEBUT SCIENCE FICTION PODCAST FROM TOR LABS

Dakota “Dak” Prentiss guards the biggest secret in the world.

They call it “Moss.” It’s your standard grey alien from innumerable abduction stories. Moss still sits at what looks like the controls of the spaceship it crash-landed twenty-five years ago. A secret military base was built around the crash site to study both Moss and the dangerous technology it brought to Earth.

The day Matt Salem joins her security team, Dak’s whole world changes.

It’s love at first sight—which is a problem, since they both signed ironclad contracts before joining the base security team, vowing not to fraternize with other military personnel. If they run away, they’ll be hunted for the secret they know. So Dak and Matt decide to escape to a better life on the wings of an incredibly dangerous plan: They’re going to steal the alien body they've been guarding and sell the secret of its existence.

And they can’t afford a single mistake.



EPISODE FOUR: POWER THROUGH

Today, Trip Haydon—the head of Sierra and the man who holds all their fates in his hand—is visiting Quill Marine. It’s the ultimate test of Dak’s leadership. There’s no margin for even one mistake.

You can purchase Steal the Stars at the following Retailers:

  

Author Spotlight

Photo Content from TOR Labs

Nat Cassidy is an actor, director, musician, and playwright. He has appeared on shows such as The Following (Fox), The Affair (Showtime), Red Oaks (Amazon), High Maintenance (HBO), Law & Order: SVU (NBC), as well as on stage in numerous productions and workshops both Off- and Off-Off-Broadway. Nat’s plays have been nominated for a combined total of 17 New York Innovative Theatre Awards, including 3 times for Outstanding Full-Length Script (which he won in 2009, and in 2011 for Outstanding Solo Performance for his one man show about H.P. Lovecraft). In 2012 Nat was commissioned by The Kennedy Center to write the libretto for a world-premiere opera, and in 2014 his play Any Day Now was chosen to be part of Primary Stages’ ESPADrills (The Duke Theatre, directed by Tony-nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel). He is also thrilled to be writing the novelization of Steal the Stars, which will be published by Tor Books in November 2017. 
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Mac Rogers is an award-winning audio dramatist and playwright. His audio/podcasts dramas The Message and LifeAfter have been downloaded over eight million times. His stageplays include The Honeycomb Trilogy (winner of the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Premiere Production), Frankenstein Upstairs, God of Obsidian, Ligature Marks, Asymmetric, Viral, Universal Robots, Hail Satan (Outstanding Playwriting Winner at FringeNYC 2007), and Fleet Week: The Musical (co-written with Sean Williams and Jordana Williams; winner of Outstanding Musical at FringeNYC 2005). He has earned acclaim from The New York Times, The Guardian, Backstage, The Wall Street Journal, Time Out New York, New York Post, Flavorpill, io9, Fangoria, Tor.com, Show Business Weekly, New York Press, and many others.
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{Nerd Blast} VICARIOUS by Paula Stokes

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Tor Teen (August 16, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765380943
ISBN-13: 978-0765380944

Praise for VICARIOUS

"Combining elements of sci-fi and mystery, Vicarious is an expert blend from an author gifted with the ability to jump genres and stick the landing every time." ―Paste Magazine

“A total mind-bending thrill ride, with a heroine who’s as smart as she is strong. Readers will love Winter!”―Lindsay Cummings, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zenith and The Murder Complex

"Reading Vicarious is like tiptoeing across a field of landmines. Blindfolded. Stokes delivers enough adrenaline to make readers beg for mercy.”―Victoria Scott, author of Titans and Fire & Flood

"An action-packed thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end--I couldn't put it down!"―Kristi Helvig, author of Burn Out and Strange Skies

"Vicarious by Paula Stokes is a fast-paced thriller that grabs your attention on page one and doesn't let go. The main character is a fresh take on the usual heroine in YA novels."―Julie Bond, Sales &Marketing Manager/YA Specialist, Read Booksellers

“This is the thrill ride you’ve been waiting for all summer.”―PopCrush

“Pulse-pounding adventures and high-tech blend masterfully with romance, intrigue, and current issues, making this book completely captivating for any audience."―VOYA, starred review

"Stokes delivers fans of suspense a story full of twists and turns...The author admirably handles graphic and disturbing material in a subtle way."―School Library Journal

“A powerful kick-ass girl caught up in a high-tech, twisty mystery…Buckle up, this thrill ride travels at breakneck speed.”―Justine Magazine

"Smart twists and turns...smart sci-fi worldbuilding. Complementing the mystery is a slow-burn love story between Winter and Mexican-American Jesse Ramirez, a fellow stunt artist. Their relationship is tender and complicated, with enough tension to sustain itself and enough heat to pop when things pay off."―Kirkus Reviews

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they've escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose's ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it's bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities in the city's hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you--for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won't rest until she finds her sister's killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn't sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she'll have to untangle what's real from what only seems real, risking her own life in the process.

Paula Stokes weaves together a series of mysteries and the story of an unbreakable bond between sisters in this unforgettable high-tech thrill ride.

You can purchase VICARIOUS at the following Retailers:

Photo Content from Paula Stokes

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts who sometimes make bad decisions. She’s the author of several YA novels, most recently Liars, Inc. and The Art of Lainey. Her writing has been translated into nine foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

        

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{Anniversary Blast} Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell

Publisher: Running Press,U.S.
Format: Paperback | 256 pages
Publication date: 17 April 2014
Publication City/Country: Philadelphia
ISBN 10: 0762449519
ISBN 13: 9780762449514

Spoiled, Versace-clad Cricket Montgomery has seventeen years of pampering under her belt. So when her father decides to ship her off to a summer camp for disabled teens to help her learn some accountability, Cricket resigns herself to three weeks of handicapped hell.

Her sentence takes a bearable turn as she discovers the humor and likeability of the campers and grows close to fellow counselors. Now, if she can just convince a certain Zac Efron look-alike with amazing blue eyes that she finally realizes there's life after Gucci, this summer could turn out to be the best she's ever had.

Summer on the Short Bus is a very non-P.C., contemporary YA with a lot of attitude, tons of laughs, and a little life lesson along the way.

You can purchase Summer on the Short Bus at the following Retailers:

Photo Content from Bethany Crandell

Bethany Crandell lives in San Diego with her husband, two daughters (one of whom is differently-abled), and a chocolate lab with no regard for personal space. She watches too much TV, savors avocados, and is still waiting for Jake Ryan to show up at her door. She writes YA because the feelings that come with life’s “first” times are too good not relive again and again.

        

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{Nerd Blast} In the Time of Dragon Moon by Janet Lee Carey

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books (March 24, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803738102
ISBN-13: 978-0803738102

Praise for IN THE TIME OF DRAGON MOON

“The author’s world-building is detailed and fascinating, and Uma is a strong, admirable heroine. This is a must-purchase for libraries owning the earlier installments and a great choice for where teen fantasy is popular.” —School Library Journal

"A story of courage and romance that readers will not soon forget. While Uma's struggle to help the queen and save her people is intriguing, the depth of her character reaches much further, exploring issues of race, gender, and identity....The text will be a sure favorite of fans of high fantasy." —VOYA

"Both elegant and immersive." —BCCB

"A satisfying tale of a girl who must come to terms with her own blended identity." —Kirkus

Praise for DRAGONSWOOD and DRAGON'S KEEP

"Painful, cathartic and cautiously hopeful." —Kirkus, starred review for Dragonswood

"Readers will look forward to the future of Wilde Island. . . Perfectly crafted" —School Library Journal, starred review for Dragonswood

"Stunning, lyrical prose." —Booklist, starred review for Dragon's Keep

"While the story has roots in traditional fairy tales and legends, the author has crafted something new and magical." —School Library Journal, starred review for Dragon's Keep

An epic fantasy about dragons, dark secrets, Pendragons, and magic

On the southernmost tip of Wilde Island--far from the Dragonswood sanctuary and the Pendragon Castle--live the native Euit people. Uma, who is half Euit and half English, and not fully accepted by her tribe, wants to become a healer like her Euit father. But the mad English queen in the north, desperate for another child, kidnaps Uma and her father and demands that he cure her barrenness. 

After her father dies, Uma must ensure that the queen is with child by the time of the Dragon Moon, or be burned at the stake.

Terrified and alone, Uma reaches out to her only possible ally: the king's nephew Jackrun, a fiery dragonrider with dragon, fairy, and human blood. Together, they must navigate through a sea of untold secrets, unveil a dark plot spawned long ago in Dragonswood, and find a way to accept all the elements--Euit, English, dragon, and fairy--that make them who they are.

You can purchase In the Time of Dragon Moon at the following Retailers:

Photo Credit: Heidi Pettit

Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of nine Young Adult novels including her newest release, In the Time of Dragon Moon, book three of the Wilde Island Chronicles, ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Winner of the Mark Twain Award and finalist for the Washington State Book Award, her books highlight the courage of children and teens, and explore the challenges of staying true to your values while following your dreams. School Library Journal starred review calls her work, “fantasy at its best-original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.” Statistics have shown that children who read are more compassionate. Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering youth to read and reach out. She tours the U.S. and abroad presenting at schools, book festivals and conferences for writers, teachers, and librarians. Janet and her family live near Seattle by a lake where rising morning mist forms into the shape of dragons.

        

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{Nerd Blast} Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Hardback | 368 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2015
ISBN 10: 0062323288
ISBN 13: 9780062323286

Praise for LIARS, INC

“Stokes continues to masterfully plant crumbs and red herrings on the road to the solving the mystery. The action is nonstop in this dark, psychological thriller. Readers will be on edge until the satisfying conclusion.” ―VOYA

“An interesting mystery with plot twists and turns to keep teens reading.” ―School Library Journal

"Max is so well-drawn it's hard not to be completely sympathetic to his predicament...the author twists and turns at all the right moments. Even the keenest mystery buffs will be hard-pressed to predict the book's finale, which packs quite the emotional and physical punch. Captivating to the very end."―Kirkus Reviews 

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

For more information, check out THE OFFICIAL LIARS, INC. WEBSITE.

You can purchase Liars, Inc. at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Paula Stokes

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts who sometimes make bad decisions. She’s the author of several YA novels, most recently Liars, Inc. and The Art of Lainey. Her writing has been translated into nine foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

        

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