Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Book Obession Tour @KT_Clapsadl: Excerpt & Giveaway - Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren



Mind Trace
by Holly McCaghren

What would you do to possess unlimited knowledge and power?
Nineteen year-old Alice McArthur never had a choice. A shy girl from a small town, Alice has gained a reputation for her near-genius programming abilities, even getting the attention of EngineerCorp, a rising electronics empire. With her unique skill-set she is hand-picked to test their network security by hacking into their global mainframe.
But something goes terribly wrong.
The next thing Alice knows, she wakes up on the floor with a migraine, unnatural powers, a server’s worth of data in her head and the realization that this job was not what it seemed.
Now a fugitive from justice and on the run from the evil leader of a corporate empire, Alice doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn. She must find a way to secure her freedom and stop those who would keep her prisoner for life — or worse.

Excerpt:     
 As she was closing the side cargo compartment on her Ducati, a deep, velvety voice spoke behind her.
"Going somewhere, Alice?"
She spun around so fast that she tripped over the wheel on her bike and fell down onto gravel. As fast as she could manage, she stood up and found herself backed against the opposite sidewall under the carport.
It's him!
Eric stood there, on the edge of the opposite wall. He was dressed in a perfectly fitted, expensive-looking suit, leaning casually against the wall as if he had every right to be there. A smirk teased the corner of his lips, and his eyes glittered menacingly down at her. She quickly glanced around, trying to assess her chances of escape. She didn't see anyone else around, but she had to assume that there were others, currently hiding out of view.
How did this happen? I should have known better. I should have been prepared! What am I going to do? I have to stall him until I figure out a plan.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" she finally managed to ask him.
Eric smiled; a confident look on his face.
"Alice, dear. Let us not feign ignorance. You know very well why I am here. You took something from me, and I want it back. It's really quite simple."
"How could I possibly have anything that you want? I don't even know who you are!"
"Oh, I think you know exactly who I am. That is irrelevant though, because I know for a fact that you gained unlawful access to a large amount of data that did not belong to you. You are going to take a little trip with me, so we can discuss all of this in great detail."
He paused, and then turned his head, glancing behind him, mouth opening as if to speak. She saw four men dressed in black tactical uniforms seemingly materialize, fanning out behind Eric.
You have to be kidding!
Alice looked around, rapidly calculating the best possible route of escape.
Now or never.
Without hesitating, she bolted around the edge of the carport, running as fast as she could in the direction of the forest surrounding the cabin.

About the Author:  I was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area, and have lived in Texas my whole life! (Gotta love humidity!)
Nothing makes me happier than settling down with a good book, but they aren’t always easy to find! Some of my favorites (in no particular order) include: Jane Eyre, The Blue Sword, Dracula, Ender’s Game, Heir to the Empire, and the Harry Potter series. I love a good scifi/fantasy book, but it certainly isn’t limited to that genre.
My first book was just published via Createspace, called “Mind Trace.” It is a science fiction/adventure novel, appropriate for all ages! It is currently available through Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle), Barnesandnoble.com (paperback), and the Createspace store.

Connect with Holly:

Extra Special Bonus Excerpt:
She was almost to the elevator when she heard a frantic yelling in her ear.
"Code Red! I repeat, Code Red! The Project Alchernon server has completely shut down!"
After a tense moment, the man replied frantically, "Martin is heading your way now. He's coming straight down from Engineering."
She had reached the elevator and pressed the button, waiting to go up.
Almost there.
As the door dinged open and she looked up, she realized a fatal error in her timing.
Eric had been in Engineering, most likely discussing the progress in cracking her computer. Engineering was on Level Three, and right in the middle of that was the maintenance corridor.   If, for instance, he heard that something devastating was happening to Project Alchernon on Level Seven, he would use the closest route to get there… the maintenance elevator.
She looked up directly into Eric's steely blue eyes.
You have to be kidding.
She really had a streak of bad luck lately.
Eric stared at her, and probably the closest thing he had felt to surprise in years was now written all over his face.
For a moment, they both stared at each other, neither one moving.  Then, Eric jumped forward out of the elevator to grab her. Unaccustomed to the overly large boots she was wearing, she tripped over her own feet and fell backward onto the floor.
Eric fell on top of her, and she struggled fiercely as he sought to restrain her. Within a few moments, he had her arms firmly pinned to the floor. His arms felt like iron bands, and she knew she could not break free of his hold.
If I had waited just a few minutes, I would have missed him entirely. I'd be on my way to freedom instead of trapped on the ground beneath Eric Martin.
He finally spoke, slightly out of breath.
"What have you managed to do now, Alice? I guess it was too much to hope that you would behave yourself."
He added with a hint of malice, more to himself than her, "Someone will pay dearly for their lack of attention."


Giveaway via Rafflecopter:
5 Copies of Mind Trace (Print or eBook)


Check out all the other fabulous stops on this tour!!

Tour Schedule:
12/2 - A Book Obsession - Spotlight
12/3 - A_TiffyFit's Reading Corner - Excerpt
12/4 - 
The Reading Obsession - Spotlight
12/5 - 
Michelle Chew Writes - Excerpt
12/6 - 
Library Girl Reads and Reviews - Spotlight
12/6 - 
The Readiacs - Review
12/7 - 
Cassandra Lost in Books - Excerpt
12/9 - Chelle's Blue and Sparkly Corner - Spotlight
12/9 - 
Romancing the Readers - Excerpt
12/10 - 
Stitch Read Cook - Spotlight
12/11 - 
The Qwillery - Excerpt
12/11 - 
What the Cat Read - Review
12/12 - 
Happy Tails and Tales - Spotlight

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