This week our featured author is from Michigan (my home state). I’m especially excited to feature her YA dystopian novel. If you have a teen or young adult, this book will take them on an fascinating adventure. Or maybe you’d like to read it yourself…

Author’s Inspiration:

Inspiration for Soul Hacker came from real life experience at an international border crossing into a country with extreme security check points and high level community monitoring. I had also recently seen a news story about an environmental disaster that caused an entire town to permanently evacuate due to ongoing toxic fumes seeping from the ground. After reading an article about biohacking with nootropic drugs to increase mental capacity, the story elements of Soul Hacker came together. An environmental disaster leading to tightly regulated human habitation within high-rise structures where intelligence is valued above all else.

About the book:

When environmental disaster leaves the world ruined, humanity must survive within seven cities of interconnected high-rises. Students must study rigorously for a final exam which irrevocably places them within a social caste.

Recent graduate, Anna, has earned an esteemed position working in genetic science, but risks her coveted placement when caught smuggling restricted goods to her lower-level sister. Troy, the militant border guard, blackmails her into stealing classified lab materials for his underground team of biohacking revolutionaries. When the lead lab technician, Darion, discovers Anna’s theft from the lab, he is sure to use his government rank to coerce her into marriage. Becoming a high-riser’s wife is the last thing Anna wants when her heart is yearning for freedom, but marriage to a man of influence could work in her favor if she can convince him to help her stop the government from culling a percentage of the population she’s grown to love.

Anna cheats, steals, and smuggles to receive a better placement within the high-rise, however she hadn’t counted on finding redemption and risking everything for the love that finally captures her heart.

Excerpt:

Anna straightened, still clutching the pack. Even though she expected him, his sudden nearness filled her with a rush of new anxiety. She steadied herself, keeping her gaze set out the window on the sinking sun. “Is this going to be the end of your demands?”

Troy sighed and followed her gaze out over the foggy landscape.

There were few people in the terrarium. Anna shifted and rubbed a palm on her thigh. Someone would notice them talking here. She wanted to leave, but she still had so many questions. “What are you doing with these?”

Her gaze was drawn to the pack. If he wanted the slides for some biohacking experiment, it would be a serious offense if he were exposed. They’d imprison him, beat him, or banish him, unless they thought Level 1 would be a worse punishment. Then that’s where they’d put him. There was no way she would make that kind of accusation against him without firsthand witness. No one deserved that suffering.

Troy didn’t answer right away. He put his arm over the back of the bench and leaned closer to her. “I’m looking for answers. Thank you.”

“Thank you? I didn’t do this out of the goodness of my heart.”

“I don’t believe that.” He almost allowed a smile.

Anna’s eyes narrowed. She shifted on the hard bench. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“Sure you did. You care about your sister. You want her to get better. That’s why you bring those puny oranges through the border, risking your credentials each time you pass through security.”

Anna’s internal alarm fired. Heat ran up through her insides. She needed to get away from Troy, the sooner the better.

“I’ve noticed you coming through the checkpoint now for three months. Every time you entered with a full pack, you sped through the area, focused—determined…and then you’d leave empty handed,” Troy said.

Anna’s lips parted. “You’ve known all along and never stopped me?”

He shrugged. “You dropped your pass this time. I had to get it back to you.”

“So breaking the law is irrelevant to you?” She glanced around the terrarium again, still not enough traffic to cover their conversation.

“Some people break the law for their own benefit. Some break them for the greater good.”

“And this law?” She tightened her grip on the pack.

He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees. “People are suffering. You are your sister’s hope. Hope that life is still worth living, or will be someday.”

“And if she doesn’t get better, then what will her hope be?” Anna said cynically.

Troy glanced to the pack and back to her. “That’s where I come in.”

About the author:

Sarah lives in Northern Michigan where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and meandering the gorgeous Lake Michigan beaches. Her interest in writing grew from reading The Chronicles of Narnia, and Anne of Green Gables novels as a young girl, and reignited after discovering Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series.

Sarah writes romantic speculative fiction for modern readers who enjoy a fast-paced, character-driven story set in extraordinary worlds. Current works in progress include a time-travel and an urban fantasy.

Author media links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19091652.Sarah_Rosinski

Facebook: @sarahrosinskiauthor

Instagram: @srosinski.author

Twitter @sarah_rosinski

WordPress: https://sarahrosinski.wordpress.com/

Buy link:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/soul-hacker/5?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=4

This is the story of how a farm girl from rural Michigan ended up attending a private Christian college, which led to a career first as a bilingual legal secretary then ultimately becoming a published author and founder of this blog.

In September 1983, I was at a college weekend retreat. I don’t remember what the cabins were like but I remember the bathrooms. There were no stalls or doors. Everything you did, and I mean everything, was out in the open in the all-girls’ bathroom. I was a very shy person and it was an uncomfortable experience.

Being shy also led to an embarrassing incident during a group session when students were sharing their testimonies. We sang songs in between the speaking. One song that touched my heart that day was “For Those Tears I Died.”

In that song, there is a line about God “Opening all the right doors.”

That was my testimony. God had opened the doors for this farm girl to attend a private Christian college, and I felt moved to share that. Only I wasn’t brave enough to speak up. I listened to everyone else talking, and the pressure I felt to talk led to tears. I’d always been sensitive and cried when I got emotional. This time, it was in the presence of strangers, students whom I’d hoped to get acquainted with and maybe impress.

Sitting there crying, I grew more embarrassed and uncomfortable. When someone shared about a family member who wasn’t a Christian, I got up and quickly said something similar to take the pressure off.

While I couldn’t share my testimony that day, I thought of it this past month as I pondered what spring break experiences to write about. I wouldn’t have been attending that Christian college if it hadn’t been for an incident that happened while I was in driver’s education class.

My story begins with a tree, an inexperienced student driver, and a stick shift training car that may or may not have had faulty brakes.

It was April 14, 1981 during spring break. I was scheduled to drive with the instructor and other students for the first time. I was nervous about it because the car was a stick shift. My dad had taken me out a couple of times in his pickup to teach me, and I couldn’t get the hang of the clutch.

I thought I was supposed to drive in the morning. So by lunchtime, when the instructor hadn’t shown up yet, I thought she wasn’t coming. I was eating macaroni and cheese when the car pulled into the driveway.

I got in the car and we left my house with another student driving. Our route took us cross-country along rough gravel roads with hills that made it difficult to shift the car.

Overcorrecting a mistake led to the car going off into the trees, and it didn’t stop.

That collision left me with a compression fracture in my lumbar spine, which healed after a few weeks in a back brace.

It was a shock when the school’s insurance company approached us a year later and offered a cash settlement as compensation for my injuries. My parents weren’t the type to sue and it hadn’t crossed our mind to do so. We wouldn’t have considered taking a settlement, but my dad was concerned that because of my back injury, I wouldn’t be able to work at a job where I had to stand on my feet all day. The settlement offer seemed providential. We all thought that with the money, I’d be able to attend college and train for a career that wouldn’t aggravate my back injury.

I checked into several colleges. I wanted to attend a private Christian school that had a program I was interested in. Several doors opened up and led the way for me to go there.

1. The college was the same denomination as my church, so I knew I’d get a scholarship. (I didn’t realize until later that it was a nominal amount.)
2. A representative from the college came to my high school to talk to me about it. They had just started a communications major with a commercial writing emphasis. I was a writer, and wanted to pursue a career in journalism.
3. A worship team from another college of the same denomination came to our church. I talked with one of the members and he encouraged me to apply. (It didn’t hurt that he was good looking, although I never saw him again as he attended a different college.)
4. I met another high school student through a church committee who planned to attend the same college. We decided to become roommates.

Those open doors that led to my decision to attend Spring Arbor University and live in the dorms. The settlement, along with financial aid, paid my way.

During the two years I spent there, I had many experiences like the retreat weekend that helped me grow spiritually. Over time, I did learn to speak up and share my faith.

I didn’t complete a college degree, but I had the opportunity to study in Mexico. I became fluent in Spanish, which led to working as a legal secretary for a bilingual attorney. I also learned how to write and edit for newspapers. I’ve used life experiences and the skills I learned in communications classes to put together this blog.

The driver’s ed accident was an unfortunate experience, but God used it to open doors that might not have been open for me otherwise.

Everything I am today is because of God’s hand on my life. I give Him the glory for all the blessings He has given me.

Spring is here! A season where everything that has lain dormant throughout the cold dark winter springs to life again. Trees start budding, grass turns green again…A fresh start.

Fresh and green. Reminds me of tossed salads. For some reason, I don’t like to eat lettuce during the winter, but this time of year salads start looking good to me.

Spring Mix

In the supermarket’s produce section, they sell a packaged salad called Spring Mix. Are you familiar with the term? It’s a mix of several kinds of greens including spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, radicchio and chard.

Spring Mix: A little bit of everything. That’s what April is going to be like here on my blog. Here are some of the things you can look forward to:

New Release

The Reluctant Billionaire will be released from Anaiah Press on April 13. I’m so excited to share this contemporary Christian romance with you.

Christmas Novella Sequel

I’ve also signed a contract with Anaiah Press to publish Serena’s New Year’s Wish, a sequel to my Christmas novella.

You can order my first novella from Amazon while you’re waiting for the sequel to be released later this year.

Buy Link for Angelica’s Christmas Wish: https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/angelicas-christmas-wish/56?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=7

Friday Features

On Fridays, I introduce you to books by other authors. I have a terrific lineup this month. You’ll have a chance to read the inspiration behind and excerpts from a great mix of books, including a romantic comedy with a mysterious element, a YA dystopian, and two romantic suspense novels.

Giveaway

I have a giveaway going on right now through Sunday April 4 at noon. What is your favorite Easter or April Fool’s memory? You can answer in the comments below, then follow this link to enter your name into a random drawing for a free signed copy of my Christmas novella.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Media Links

You can follow me here on this blog or on one of my other social media links so you don’t miss any news as my writing journey progresses.

https://facebook.com/authorcarolunderhill

https://twitter.com/@carolunderhill7

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57493857-the-reluctant-billionaire

https://amazon.com/carol-underhill

I’m so excited. This is the day that I’ve been waiting for, revealing the cover for my new Christian contemporary romance, The Reluctant Billionaire.

The Reluctant Billionaire

With her husband’s ultimate betrayal, and the finalization of her divorce, Jessica Palmer’s dreams for her life go up in flames, leaving her devastated and lost. Now, she’s leaving Chicago and moving back into her parents’ house in an effort to rebuild her life. Longtime neighbor and friend, Liam Engstrom, is the only reason she hasn’t completely fallen apart, but the closer they get, the more she realizes the depth of his feelings.

Liam has loved Jessica since they were teens, but she never noticed him as more than a friend. Now that she’s single, he’s determined to show her how much he cares and that not all men are like her ex-husband–if she’ll let him.

Jessica is reluctant to trust again after what her husband did to her, and Liam refuses to be the rebound guy, but their attraction is hard to deny. So, together, with a little help from God, they decide to give love a chance. But between Liam’s recent inheritance and an unwanted public billionaire status that has people lining up with their hands out, and Jessica’s ex-husband monitoring her every move, their relationship is off to a rocky start. And when tragedy strikes, Liam pushes everyone away—including Jessica. Can they both learn to forgive and grow, or are they doomed to be alone?

The Reluctant Billionaire will be released on April 13 and…

Here is the full cover:

About the author:

Carol Underhill lives in rural Michigan a few miles from the farm where she grew up. She is mom to three adult children and a spoiled Lab. Her household also includes several rescued cats. She likes finding new authors on Kindle and binge-reading all their books. Carol rewards herself for meeting deadlines with a cup of fudge-flavored coffee. She enjoys quiet mornings and spending time with her family.

Facebook: https://facebook.com/carolunderhill

Twitter: https://@carolunderhill7

Website: https://authorcarolunderhill.com

Goodreads