Sky’s End by Lesley Young EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT & Giveaway

Sky’s End

by Lesley Young

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BLURB:

A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe’s future at stake.

Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth’s new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command’s top pilots and her only family, who’s been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition’s fierce, and she’s already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once.

Even the station’s most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can’t help Cassiel pass the second time around – so why is he so interested in her progress? If only one of her freaky déjà vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide.

When Cassiel’s manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all.

Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother – even if it means pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or’ic, the cold-as-steel Thell’eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

The scene slowly charges up. I crouch down quickly, remembering that I’m supposed to adopt a protective stance at all times. I reach for my built-in thigh holster, clasping for the familiar feel of the blade handle. Empty. Right. Must ‘neutralize threats’ in the most efficient way possible, using only my body and brain.

It’s still really dark. Okay. Makes sense. The test brief mentioned the rescue would take place during the Nights of Niian (its solar star rises only every two days).

Good, Cassiel. You’re holding it together!

My eyes have almost adjusted. I make out my mission members, also crouched. Well, I did that right.

Quickly I take in my surroundings. We’re huddled closely in a circle, at the foot of what appears to be a steep crag, a half a mile NE of the makeshift space outpost where Sgt. Henderson is being held (I know this from the test brief). Because of the outpost’s remote location on Niian, we assume (correction, I assume) the complex will be pretty basic, a few rooms, max. Less trouble for us to have to ‘infiltrate and clear’ in our search for the target.

My breaths are rapid and short in the glow of Stoddard’s UPS (Universe Positioning System), which he wears on his wrist. Niian is very cold when its solar star’s absent, and my gear offers very little protection, in more ways than one. I expect Stoddard to be staring at my headlights. Instead, our “commander” is acting totally professional.

“All right, team,” says Stoddard.

Team?

Whoa. Bukin and I glance at each other. The word team is not in Stoddard’s vocabulary. The guy’s all for one and one for all. Some programmer’s getting a kick out of making Stoddard into the pro he should be. (For a second, I’m deeply disturbed by the fact that the real Stoddard won’t see the irony. Watching this replicam of himself will only inflate his already huge ego).

Stoddard continues. “Looks like the transporter [scr**ed] up. We’re approximately one mile north of the outpost.”

Crud. Curve ball No. 1. This little Command ploy means we’ll be doing a flat out run for at least 10 minutes, leaving me out of breath and shaky. Metatabulous.

“Our ride’s slated for a return pick up in”—Stoddard checks his UPS—“30 minutes, giving us just enough time to get out of here before the next Gogol security sweep if we really crack it.”

“We’ll have no more than 12 minutes to locate the target in the outpost,” he continues. “And just eight minutes, tops, to return to the rendezvous coordinates.”

“I’ll lead,” Stoddard says. “Winters, you bring up the rear.”

Stoddard, who has already determined the route, shoots out into a hunched run, like a professional athlete. The other replicam, Jackson, follows, next goes Bukin, and then I give it my best effort, stumbling just a smidge.

Come on. You can do this. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Journalist Lesley Young never thought she would delve into the world of writing fiction, but when she sat down for the first time to put pen to paper, ideas for what would become her first novel just poured out naturally. Young’s first book, “Sky’s End,” is a multi-genre tale that showcases her unique style of weaving romance, action and wit into one page-burning story.

Young was born in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. She holds an arts degree from the University of Alberta and a journalism degree from the University of Victoria.

Young now lives in Loretto, Ontario where she works as a journalist, freelance writer and editor for health, décor and business magazines. Since 2008, Young has written more than 300 articles for print and online media including Profit, Toronto Life, MSN Green, and Elle Canada among others. She is a regular contributor to Reader’s Digest, Best Health, Canadian Living and House and Home Magazine.

Soul Mate Publishing releases “Sky’s End” on July 15 in paperback and e-book. The novel is Young’s first installment in a series about Cassiel Winters, a futuristic heroine, and her outer space escapades.

Links:

Facebook.com/LesleyYoungBooks

@LesleyYoungBks

LesleyYoungBooks.com

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Skys-End-Lesley-Young/dp/1619352389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372207931&sr=8-1&keywords=sky%27s+end+lesley+young

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skys-end-lesley-young/1115564788?ean=9781619352384

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