New Release Spotlight: Haven by Laury Falter

Haven, Part I of the Apocalypse Chronicles

Author: Laury Falter

Release date: June 22, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Group:  Young Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

~Synopsis~

On an ordinary day in early September, Kennedy Shaw leaves for school unaware that within a few minutes the world she knows will be gone - succumbed to an outbreak of epidemic proportions. After finding a safe haven inside the security of her enclosed high school, she learns that four others have survived, one being a bold, mysterious transfer student from Texas whose unruffled demeanor harbors more than a cool interest in her. As they struggle to survive the dead fighting their way inside, will Kennedy discover there is more to life than survival? And will she and the others find a way to live in this terrifying new world?

~Excerpt~

"I'm different, Kennedy." Those words seemed to sting as they left his beautiful lips.

"We're all different, Harrison. I have steel throwing stars in my pocket, and I know how to use them. Do you know any other eighteen-year-olds who do that?  You asked that same question this morning, remember? Not one. Not a single one." I paused to meet his stare directly, ensuring my last point was heard. "I don't think you're any more different than the rest of us."

He laughed under his breath. "You don't now, but you will eventually."

In a way that made me think he was trying to prove his point, he opened the refrigerator door wide, so that I could clearly see inside. It was stocked, but not with fruit, vegetables, and Yoo-Hoo drinks. Bags of raw meat were crammed into every shelf and drawer available. That was it, just bags of raw meat. He began shoving as many of them as he could fit into his duffel bag, stuffing it so tightly it couldn't zip closed. When he straightened up and turned, he discovered that I hadn't moved.

"You underestimate me," I said.

He seemed surprised that I wasn't bowled over by his brazen display of how odd he was. "Why are you so determined to like me?" he countered.

"Why are you so determined to push me away?"

"Like you do with others?" he retorted, striking at the one thing he knew I couldn't deny.

My only response was to press my lips together as the uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

Obviously, he'd seen me sitting alone in the library during lunch and he knew that I was short on friends. I was also pretty sure he'd heard my story through one of the many strings of gossip that seemed to surround me. He laughed under his breath again, this time with thick sarcasm. "We are similar, Kennedy. We keep to ourselves, preserving that preciously safe space around us, denying others entry. We make it painful for others so they won't think about invading it. We make ourselves invisible or unreceptive so they won't consider trying. I've watched you do it for a year. But we do this for different reasons. You do it so that others can't hurt you. I do it so that I can't hurt others." He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder effortlessly despite the weight it held.

"So that's it?" I said, causing him to halt. He kept his back to me as I asked, "That's why you never asked me out, why you're being…reticent now? You think you can hurt me."

His shoulders lifted as he drew in a deep breath. "Kennedy," he exhaled wearily, "it's the only reason that could keep me from you."

Laury Falter is the author of the bestselling Guardian Trilogy. She writes young adult paranormal romances and urban fantasy when she's not taking her stray dogs for a walk or enjoying a date night with her husband.

Laury has released two series, the Guardian Trilogy and the Residue Series (a spinoff of the Guardian Trilogy books), and is currently releasing her third series, the Apocalypse Chronicles.

                                                                                      

To learn more about Laury and her novels, visit her at:

Website: lauryfalter.com

Twitter page: twitter.com/LauryFalter

Facebook page: facebook.com/pages/Laury-Falter/196033543803745

Goodreads page: goodreads.com/author/show/4061922.Laury_Falter