Wednesday, January 22, 2014

VBT: Soul Slam




BLURB:
A sixteen-year-old on her first heist to steal an ancient Egyptian amulet inadvertently receives the soul of King Tut…and the deadly curse that comes with it.
           
And Olivia is not alone at the museum.
           
A member of a secret Society, Xander believes it is his place to inherit King Tut’s soul and justly rule. He knows nothing about the society’s evil plan to control the world or the curse. Now, he must deal with the female imposter who stole the amulet.

Xander convinces Olivia they must form a temporary partnership. The two teens develop a connection, and together they must figure out how to end the curse before it turns deadly. On the run, unable to touch because of the curse, and dealing with a male soul inside her female body, Olivia must learn to trust Xander.

As the mystery surrounding the amulet unfolds, Olivia and Xander start to fall for each other. But is love enough to save them and the world from destruction?
EXCERPT:
Crawling ninja-style out of the sarcophagus, my black gym shoes hit the ground without a sound. But inside, a screech built up in my lungs and released on a heavy exhale, the scream so loud it sounded like an alarm. “Aiyeeeeee!”

Xander and the old man froze.

I lunged at the case, swooped in, and grabbed the amulet.

A jolt rocked my body. Pain rocketed up my spine, but I held tight to the prize. Clutching the piece in both hands, I hit the concrete floor like a football player making a catch, and kept rolling.

“A girl.” Xander’s surprised voice rose on a high note. “What the…Tut.”

“Grab her!” The old man spoke in English.

“Touch her?” Xander sounded horrified like I was the slime of the world. “I can’t.”

“She’s got the amulet.”

I tried to get to my feet, but the pulsing inside threw me off balance. I crashed back onto the floor. Pain seared my fingers and heat rushed my veins.

My body jerked. My head spun.

Something slammed into me from the inside, like it was in my body trying to get out. Back and forth I jerked. A powerful energy thumped from my ribcage to my stomach and back again.

I trembled from head to foot. My vision blurred. Images swam before my eyes—a blue river, golden statues, Egyptian pyramids, deceit, and death.

“What’s going on?” The sound coming out of my mouth warbled. “Am I dying?”

This felt worse than the time I had pneumonia with no medicine, or the time I broke my arm and Fitch duct taped it…

Fogginess seeped into my consciousness. If I blacked-out they’d steal the amulet, leave me to be caught, to go to prison, to face Fitch’s wrath.

Whatever was inside me ignited like a nuclear bomb. My skin could no longer contain my insides. I’d explode into tiny pieces and scatter across the museum floor.

“It’s happening… To. Her.” Jeb’s voice was faint as if coming from a distance, but I saw his shoes through squinted eyelids.

“But it’s my right. My inheritance.” Xander stomped his sandaled foot near my head. “My destiny.”

“It’s too late.” Jeb’s voice curled like a sneer with extra hatred. “The transfer has occurred. This stupid girl is now in possession of King Tutankhamun’s soul.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Allie Burton

Allie didn’t realize having so many jobs would become great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a fitting room attendant to a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, marine biology, and advertising.

When her kids asked, “when are you going to write a story we can read?” she switched from adult novels to Young Adult and Middle Grade and hasn’t looked back.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America including the Young Adult, Dallas Area Romance Writers and Heart of the Rockies chapters. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.


One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.


15 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm always on the lookout for YA fiction for my niece and the teens I care for and this book seems right up their alleys. It's also interesting to hear how Allie's job experience and travels have had such an impact on her stories. Thanks for sharing!

Allie Burton said...

Thanks for hosting me today. I'm excited about Soul Slam because it combines romance, adventure, and mystery. I hope my readers enjoy it too! Allie

Allie Burton said...

Gina, Many of my experiences in life have contributed to my books. In my first book, Atlantis Riptide, the main character is living in a campground. This is something I researched for myself in between college semesters. Thanks for stopping by! Allie

Karen H said...

Your bio says you wrote adult novels before switching to YA and middle grade. What are some of those titles and when were they published? Are they still for sale?

kareninnc at gmail dot com

Annalisa Crawford said...

Allie - great excerpt, good luck with the book.

Sandra - thanks for the follow :-)

Rita Wray said...

Love the excerpt.

Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

Allie Burton said...

Karen. None of my adult titles were published, but it was a great learning experience. Maybe some day... Allie

Allie Burton said...

Annalisa and Rita, Thanks for your comments! Glad you liked the excerpt. Allie

Anonymous said...

Looks like so much fun!

vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

Sandra Cox said...

You are welcome and back at ya, Annalisa.

Sandra Cox said...

You are most welcome, Allie.
Good luck with this.

Sandra Cox said...

Thanks to all who stopped by and supported, Allie.

Pat Hatt said...

Nice excerpt and great cover, a lot going on in it.

Allie Burton said...

Pat, Thanks for reading the excerpt. Allie

Samantha May said...

That is quite an unfortunate bit of luck. It must have happened on a Monday :D