Today, I’m switching it up a bit. I’ve had Asta on several
times before with her books, so when she let me know about her new book, I knew
I had to have her come back. And when she started talking birthdays with me, I
knew I had to have her write a birthday post to share with y’all. And then
finals happened, and my friends made birthday plans, and Asta wrote an awesome
birthday post…so I decided to take it easy and let Asta take center stage
today. So without further ado, here is Asta’s new book, Kangaroos Next 200km, and her take on birthdays:
Blurb:
When a drunken dare sees Mason Stubbs roaming lost
in the Australian outback, he expects to perish under the desert sun. But then
along comes trucker Jackson Cooper, intent on making his delivery to Alice
Springs on time. The pair may not see eye to eye at first, but they’ll have to
adjust to each other’s company. After all, there’s nothing but kangaroos for
the next 200km.
Mason paused again and licked his lips. They were dry,
as was his throat, but, fool that he was, he’d taken nothing with him when he
left the tent. By some stroke of luck, he was wearing his hiking boots; even if
they were paired with pajamas. Fuck. He was screwed. At first he’d thought
they’d find him in no time. Surely Alan and Paul had raised the alarm and the
group was out looking for him? It had to be hours since he’d left, though, and
so far no one had come to the rescue.
He sank to the ground, wrapped his arms around his
legs, and rested his head on his knees. He was going to die out here. It would
probably make the papers back home: “Twenty-One-Year-Old Brit Found Dead in Australian
Bush.” The tabloids would be sympathetic. They’d interview his friends and
concentrate on the tragic loss of one so young. Perhaps they’d even find some
scandalous Facebook photo to plaster on the front page. The less sleazy
publications would take a harder line and talk of his stupidity and how he’d
brought it on himself. They’d leave his friends alone and talk to his high
school teachers, who would comment on his lack of discipline in class and how
they’d always feared he’d come to a bad end. He supposed the only plus was that
he’d resisted Alan’s attempts to fill his backpack with sequined dresses and
high heels. The tabloids would have lapped that up. The other papers would have
doubtless interviewed some psychiatrists alongside his teachers.
A moment later, the loud blast of a horn filled
the air, cutting off all reveries on his upcoming infamous demise.
When I first heard Emily was having
birthday-themed guest posts to celebrate her own birthday, my first thought was
‘lucky her!’ Not so much for the birthday itself but for its placement. I’m a
December baby, you see, and what I wouldn’t give for two distinct present
sessions each year. As it is, I get the lot in the space of a few weeks, then
nothing the rest of the year. Woe is me! But luckily it’s not all bad news,
because birthdays mean books.
For me, the two go hand in hand, since books are
by far my most often-received gift. All family and friends know how I love
them, and they all have access to my ever-present, never-ending wish list at
The Book Depository. Now that I live overseas, it’s easy for them to order from
the list and have the books sent straight to me. My December book haul
generally lasts me several months into the new year, giving me an excellent
start on my Goodreads reading goal. This year my goal is 150 books, and at the
time of writing this post, I have already finished 50, so I’m making good
progress.
In an appropriate twist of fate, one of the main
characters in the book I’m here to promote is also celebrating a birthday in
the story.—his 21st. Mason marks the occasion with a trip to the Australian
outback. However, the festivities take a dangerous turn when he’s separated
from his group and lost in the desert. He fears this birthday may be his last,
but perhaps he’ll be granted a lifeline and a gift in the form of handsome
trucker, Jackson.
Will the birthday disaster have a happy ending?
You’ll have to read to find out. :)
Happy Birthday to you, Emily. May yours be
eventful, but without drama!
Author
Bio & Links:
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in
England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading
and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied
several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Since Asta was so awesome and helped me out, I am giving away
an Amazon or ARE e-copy of Kangaroo Next
200km. To enter, leave a comment with your e-mail address before May 7th.
Asta, thanks so much for your help today and for stopping by!
I have the book on my wishlist already. it sounds fantastic! Thank you for the post =)
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