Blog Tour Talisman of El by Alecia Stone Excerpt and Giveaway

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Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.

Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn't know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.

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Author Alecia Stone

Alecia Stone is the author of Talisman Of El (Centrinian, 2012), the first book in the Talisman Of El trilogy. She graduated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in television for a short period of time before branching out into storytelling. Alecia loves anything and everything paranormal. Her fascination with all things supernatural sparked her obsession with books, particularly young adult fantasy fiction, which she has never grown out of. She was inspired to become an author after reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at the age of fourteen.

In 2008, Alecia started working on Talisman Of El, a contemporary young adult fantasy fiction inspired by people who disappeared mysteriously, including, but not limited to, Amelia Earhart and Percy Harrison Fawcett, who went on an expedition in search of an ancient lost city. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys going to the movies, listening to music, and travelling.

Talisman Of El is her first novel. At present, Alecia lives in England, United Kingdom with her family.

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Excerpt

Jacob stood up and grabbed him by the collar. ‘If you don’t shut up, you’ll be joining the old bag.’ Charlie’s face contorted with disgust from his reeking coffee breath.

‘I can’t do this.’ Charlie’s low voice was almost inaudible.

‘I don’t remember giving you an alternative, boy.’

He no longer had a name. It was now just ‘boy’.

Charlie stared into his guardian’s face, searching for something familiar. He didn’t find it. Jacob was more of a stranger to him now than when they had met five months ago.

Jacob started dragging him into the house, but Charlie kicked him in the shin and took off into the dark woods.

‘Get back here!’ Jacob yelled.

The snow crunched beneath Charlie’s feet as he scuttled through the woods, not knowing where he was going. Whichever way he looked, darkness was creeping up on him. He had to squint to see through the falling snow. Hearing Jacob’s voice some way behind him, he stopped and hid behind a tree.

The night was cold and misty. A gentle wind blew, making the hairs on the back of his neck prick, and he shivered. Apart from the slight crackling of twigs and the rustling of wildlife hidden in the darkness, it was quiet. Peering out from behind the tree, he saw the hazy light of the torch, which was moving away from him.

A snapping sound behind him made him jump, and he spun around. He gasped when he saw a figure moving towards him. It stopped close enough that he could see it wasn’t Jacob – for it was too thin – but not close enough to allow him to make out a face.

‘Be not afraid,’ a soft voice said.

Panic rose inside Charlie, and he turned to run, but his feet slipped from under him, and he fell onto his back. Glancing behind him, he saw that the figure had disappeared. Then he heard a noise like the flutter of wings and looked ahead, his eyes widening with fear.

The figure, wearing a long cloak, was standing a few feet away from him, a hood covering its head.

‘My name is Candra,’ the figure said.

‘How did you …? You were just ...’ Charlie staggered to his feet.

‘I do not wish to harm you, Charlie,’ Candra said.

Charlie paused. That voice … It sounded so familiar. He caught his breath in his throat. It can’t be. ‘How do you know my name?’ he asked in a shaky voice.

‘I have known you your whole life. I am here to protect you. I’m aware you are unnerved right now, but try to remain calm. The last thing we need is an earthquake.’

Charlie thought back to the tremor he had felt inside the canteen on his first day of school, and his breathing accelerated. His legs trembled as he took slow steps away from the woman.

‘Listen carefully,’ Candra said. ‘The talisman you saw. You need it. You must restore it –’ She broke off, and an urgent edge crept into her voice. ‘You are not listening. Focus.’

Charlie clenched his eyes shut. She’s not real. Wake up. He opened his eyes, and she was still there. His heart kicked into overdrive when Candra disappeared and reappeared in front of him, leaving only inches between them. Seeing her intense green eyes, her face slashed with scars, he screamed.

No sooner had he tried to run than a violent windstorm assailed him. The snow and dead leaves on the ground rose with the wind, attacking him. He fell once, twice, three times but got back up again.

As the wind grew stronger, it picked him up and threw him backwards. He hit the ground hard.

Lying on his back, he heard faint footsteps. Soon, a blurry figure was standing over him.

Then darkness swallowed him.

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3 Print copies of Talisman of El
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Ends 2/18/13

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