MORTAL ESCAPE
By Amanda Murr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: sapphic scifi romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Lily is a conscientious college student with a gift for songwriting and a passion for music. Life on Ember Island is pretty conventional until the morning Lily wakes up to a transformed world. As she begins to discover her roommates and entire campus have been impacted by some sort of fiendish disease, Lily finds herself all alone and heads for the city in an attempt to understand what is going on. In the scramble for survival, Lily meets the charming yet unpredictable Halen, and comes to understand they are now living in a dystopian society.
Although the quick-tempered Halen has a distrust for almost everyone she encounters, she seems to make an exception for Lily. They have an instant attraction to each other, which Halen is more forward about and finds enjoyment in making Lily nervous by this sudden attention.
With only each other to depend on, they face dangerous obstacles to escape the island. As they fight for their lives, Lily finds herself fighting her feelings for Halen just as much while Halen develops a strong urge to protect Lily. Will the two be able to trust their connection and find refuge on the mainland and within each other?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
“Look!” Halen points ahead. “That gas station sign is still lit—probably has gas!”
Relieved, we pull onto the service road. “I’ll check it out. You stay here,” she says, protective as ever. She inspects the pumps and the store, then leans on my window. “Coast is clear. Pumps are on, and there’s tons of food inside.”
We share a quick, excited look. Halen starts fueling the car and asks me to grab her card. Suddenly, she appears back at the window. “You can just hand me my wallet,” she says nervously.
I admire her driver’s license photo. “You look so cute.”
She laughs. “Yeah, when I’m not running from things trying to kill me.”
Then I notice something: her last name reads McGregor. “Why does your license say McGregor if you said Sloan earlier?”
Halen blinks, avoiding my gaze, and quickly diverts the conversation. “Let’s grab supplies and a slushee. The machines are working!”
Uneasy, I follow her inside. She collects gas cans while I scan snacks, keeping an eye on her.
“Cherry,” I say cautiously when asked about my slushee flavor.
“Good. I’m a blue raspberry fan,” she responds, tense under my stare.
Finally, I ask again. “Why is your last name different?”
Halen looks down. “I guess… I’m technically married.”
Every hair on my arms stands on end. Before I can respond, she fires a shot at a familiar that had crept in. “We should go. There will likely be more,” she urges.
Back in the car, she fills the tanks. I sit in silence, furious. When she finally sits beside me, she says, “I was going to tell you.”
“When? Before last night, maybe?”
She nods. “We were separated. I haven’t seen her in months. She was consumed by her work, unwilling to compromise. I left, staying with my parents.”
I say nothing. She reaches for my hand; I pull away. She sits quietly, then starts the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guest Post:
Q: Discuss the world you have created for the book.
A: In Mortal Escape, the world is already in ruins by the time Lily wakes up. Her friends are either zombie-like, turning into zombies, or already dead. She can’t reach emergency services and there is no news anywhere explaining what is happening. With no answers and nowhere safe to turn, she leaves her university and heads toward the city, hoping someone will know more. Instead, she finds danger everywhere. Almost everyone who was not infected has already abandoned the island and really the only person left is Halen, who Lily meets completely by chance. However, their meeting is anything but simple. Halen has been navigating the chaos all night and no longer trusts anyone. Every stranger feels like a threat, and Lily is no exception. Slowly though, trust begins to form when they realize they need each other if they want to get off the island. And when they finally do, they learn the truth. The chaos is not contained and the entire world is falling apart. The world is now extremely dangerous and you cannot trust the people you thought you knew. Supplies are scarce because everything has been looted or abandoned. The chaos never really stops. One problem hits right after another. There is no normal anymore. There is only survival, fear, and the hope that you can make it through one more day. Even the places that seem safe have secrets hiding beneath the surface. Through all of this, Lily and Halen face the apocalypse side by side. They share what little they have and protect one another. They pay attention when the other is scared or overwhelmed, and slowly, their connection becomes the one real and steady thing in a broken world. Mortal Escape is not just about the collapse of everything familiar, it is about two people who manage to find trust, connection, and a small spark of hope when everything else has fallen apart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Amanda is a sapphic romance author based in Westminster, Colorado, where she balances her love of storytelling with her role as a People Development Manager and devoted mom to a spirited little girl. When she’s not writing about the supernatural and soul-deep love, she can be found exploring local coffee shops and bookstores, experimenting in the kitchen, or going on various adventures with her daughter. Known for her warmth, humor, and passion for human rights, Amanda brings equal parts compassion and imagination to everything she does—both on and off the page.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Escape-Amanda-Murr-ebook/dp/B0CJ2DWP73/ref=sr_1_1
Instagram: Amandalmurr
Tik Tok: Amanda.Murr1985
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Amanda Murr will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you for featuring MORTAL ESCAPE today.
ReplyDelete