Friday, April 29, 2016

Birthday Celebration Day 6

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.

Torquere Press     |     ARe     |     Amazon US     |     Amazon UK


Excerpt:
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.

Blog     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Instagram     |     Goodreads
LinkedIn     |     Amazon Author US     |     Amazon Author UK


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!

1 comment:

  1. I have the book on my wishlist already. it sounds fantastic! Thank you for the post =)

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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