United (Exalted: Book 3) by Tara Elizabeth

   Things are rapidly changing after the Republic falls and the truth about the pump has been exposed to everyone there.  Mena and Ryker find that some of their friends are missing and are determined to get them back.  They travel to Toledo Lake where they meet some more of the Exalted.  Everyone is either off of the pump now or coming off of it and their emotions are returning rather suddenly.  Everything at Toledo Lake is what we would think of as normal, and it's something to get used to for the Exalted that haven't really been outside of the Republic.
   Since the pump was exposed, things are happening rapidly now for those deemed "marauders" by the loyalist Exalted and those with them.  There is a war coming and they must protect the innocent people who live in Toledo Lake.  There are women and children there too.  Mena and Ryker know that they will all be killed if the villages don't ready themselves for this war.  And when it comes, there is always loss with it.

   This was another really good read by Tara Elizabeth!  I have really enjoyed reading this particular series and am a little sad to see it end.  It was a little quick in some spots.  I think more detail about a few things would have made it even better.  However,  we get to see some happy endings and some goodbyes as well.  So there is happiness mixed in with a little sadness. It's a good mix and the ending is wrapped up nicely.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars!!


Buy this book here:  http://www.amazon.com/UNITED-Exalted-Trilogy-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00RNAX1GA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1422681376&sr=1-1&keywords=tara+elizabeth&pebp=1422682066440&peasin=B00RNAX1GA


Blurb for United:


In this last chapter of the Exalted Trilogy, Mena and her friends discover the meaning of freedom and the costs to keep it. 

With Mena’s parents and friends missing, she and Ryker set out on a journey to find them and to warn the people of Toledo Lake about the imminent threat of retaliation from the First Republic. Things don’t go as planned, and Mena struggles to stay strong through all of her emotional perils. 

New friendships form. Old friendships fade. War will do that to people—even the strongest of people. 

Will Toledo Lake survive the wrath of Dr. Fredericks and his army? Will the Third Republic join in the attack? 

Strength be with you, Mena. 



Blurb for Exalted (Book 1):

After the fall of mankind, the Exalted became the protectors of the people. As an Exalted trainee, all Mena ever wanted was to be strong, to serve and to fearlessly protect the people of the United Republic of the Saved. All Exalted feel the same. In fact, that’s all they feel. Only when Ryker, an outsider, crashes into Mena’s life, does she learn that people are meant to feel much more. 

In this bleak future, set in what’s left of the southern United States, the trainees must compete in three Trials to earn their position amongst the strongest Exalted. In these Trials, female is pitted against female and male against male in demonstrations of weaponry, fighting and survival skills. The outcome: the United Ceremony, pairing trainees together for life based on how they place. The ultimate hope is to breed stronger Exalted and even better protectors. 

Upon learning from Ryker that the supplement she's taken her entire life is actually an emotion-blocking drug, her path takes an unexpected shift. Without the veil of “The Pump” blocking her emotions, Mena struggles with competing in the Trials and with her new, confusing love life. She’s experiencing new feelings with not one but two different guys, will Mena choose to leave with Ryker and be free or stay with her childhood friend, Ethan, and be United? 


Buy here:  http://www.amazon.com/EXALTED-Tara-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B008RBYUZU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1422681376&sr=1-3&keywords=tara+elizabeth&pebp=1422682316387&peasin=B008RBYUZU

Blurb for Denounced (Book 2):


Mena, an Exalted trainee, is the on the other side of a difficult choice: to leave the United Republic of the Saved with Ryker or return with Ethan and be United. Her decision changes everything . . . things she never considered. She has to overcome shocking realizations and tough challenges in the new life she has chosen. The people she thought she knew are not who she thought they were. Secrets come to light that were never meant to be known, by Exalted and citizens alike. The truth about the Republic is worse than Mena thought possible. Though she struggles, she continues on her mission to save the people of the Republic from the emotion-controlling drug called the Pump and set them free. She will do whatever she has to do for them and the people she loves.

Buy here:  http://www.amazon.com/DENOUNCED-EXALTED-Book-Tara-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B00EGWCX3A/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1422681376&sr=1-4&keywords=tara+elizabeth&pebp=1422682449583&peasin=B00EGWCX3A



Tara Elizabeth's page: 

http://authortaraelizabeth.com/

Score some books! Tara Elizabeth Giveaway

You could win ALL THREE of Tara Elizabeth's ebooks! ZOO, EXALTED, and DENOUNCED are up for grabs! All you have to do is:

1. "Like" her facebook page - (https://www.facebook.com/author.tara.elizabeth)
2. "Like" her giveaway post. (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=424312764361651&set=a.316744921785103.1073741825.250354998424096&type=1&theater)
3. Comment on the post.
4. Share the post.

  TWO WINNERS will be selected on Black Friday / November 29th. Good Luck!

Indie Author Book/E-book Giveaway

It's GIVEAWAY TIME!!  The prize?  One winner will receive 3 SIGNED COPIES of books from Erica Stevens and Brian D. Meeks, and all 3 e-books from Tara Elizabeth!!  The giveaway will run from September 7th at 12 a.m. to September 27th at 12 a.m. (central time)  Open to U.S./Canada only!!  One winner will be drawn at random.  Thank you to all of my Indie Authors who have contributed items for the giveaway!!  Good luck everyone!!!

                           

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner!!

And the winner of the Indie Author Book/E-book Giveaway is.............

                            Jessica Lynn Leonard!!

Congrats Jessica!  You will be receiving an email very shortly!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest!  Keep looking for more giveaways to come on my blog!
And a very big thank you to all of the authors that contributed to this giveaway!  Thank you Erica Stevens, Tara Elizabeth, and Brian Meeks!!

Giveaway!! Here are the paperback books!

Here are the (signed) paperback books I will be giving away on the 27th of this month!!  I will also be giving away 3 e-books by Tara Elizabeth!!  If you haven't done so already, be sure to sign up!  One winner will get all of these books!
                                                               US/Canada only!

            http://claricesbooknook.blogspot.com/2013/09/indie-author-booke-book-giveaway.html

Denounced (Exalted Book 2) by Tara Elizabeth

"Your race is the product of a government experiment gone wrong.  Some of the Exalted overtook the U.S. military.  They started bombing every country that they saw as a threat.  Those countries retaliated.  And that was the end of the world, as we once knew it.  What people that were left, they cowered from your race.  But we finally devised a plan to get control back.  And it worked.  We were able to modify a common drug that would kill your emotions, thus making you more manageable."

   This is how the world ended, according to Dr. Fredericks.  A few minutes before that, Mena decided to take a stand and not let Ryker be executed.  There was no way she would ever do that.  She was in love with him, and he loved her.  The whole idea of uniting with Ethan had not been nearly as appealing as it once was.  She had met Ryker and things had changed.  Things had been nothing but weird between she and Ethan for a while now.  After all, she got a position working for Dr. Fredericks even though she had technically been second in the trials.
   Mena had decided to come back and try to help her parents, friends, and everyone else who's life had been altered by the drugs they were giving them.  At the time, she had no idea why they were being given drugs to kill their emotions.  She had left Ryker and Lily behind for the greater good.  Once she got back, she realized Kinah, one of her enemies, had come in before her.  She was first.  She would be the one to unite with Ethan, who had finished first out of the male Exalted.  Then, the announcement is made that Kinah had broken the rules by killing one of the Exalted during the third trial.  So she would be brought down to third place.  Now it would be Mena to unite with Ethan.  She would be honored for her placement in the trials.  It was still going to be a month before they were united.  Mena hoped she had time to find out some information to help their cause, but no sooner than she walks in the door to see Dr. Fredericks to start her new job does Ryker appear.  He is also working for the evil doctor. Should she trust him now?  It seems like he betrayed her.  But there is more to that story than meets the eye as well.  The two of them begin working together, which brings Mena's feelings for him to the very front of everything.  She constantly tries to remind herself and Ryker that she will be united with Ethan, but the feelings for Ethan are just not there.  While she struggles with her warring emotions, they are also trying to find out more information about where the Pump is made and why.  And  any other information about the rebel forces outside of their own little colony.  Turns out that there are two others just like it.  And there is an island where the Pump is made.
   In a sudden turn of events, Mena is placed among the Citizens to find any rebellion and those that might be off of the Pump.  In this position she feels like she is helpless.  There is no way she can help Ryker like this.  But more problems arise when one of the Citizens that Mena meets is executed for sending information out to the rebels and being off the Pump.  This is a dangerous world indeed.
   Then we get to the United Ceremony and that is where Mena decides to start being her own person.  She steps up and decides that things have to change.  Before Ryker is denounced and executed.  She will no longer let anyone else rule over her or her life.  Then she finds out why the apocalypse happened....

Am I crazy like he says?  I felt stronger emotions once I got off the Pump for a while, but I wasn't crazed.  Do I have the potential to kill millions of people? No. Never.


This book was everything I expected of it.  Danger on every corner.  The sudden appearance of Ryker, and even Lily.  Then Mena trying so hard to deal with her emotions.  She has a hard time doing what she feels like is the right thing to do, and doing what she wants to do.  She feels like the right thing to do is give up Ryker for the greater good of all other Exalted who are being controlled.  But he is not about to let Mena go so easy and shows up again as a double agent.  Since Ryker is so good at being a double agent, it makes you wonder for a while just how trust worthy he is.  But his affection for Mena is very real.  And so are hers.  But she is trying to put them away, hidden so they can't be found.  In the end, she realizes she can no longer deny her feelings.  And she can have Ryker while helping the others as well.  A total turn of the tables comes for Dr. Fredericks and when it happens all hell breaks loose.  Brother fighting brother.  It ends in a faction of loyalists fleeing the colony and the ones willing to change remain.  The bad news?  Mena's parents and friends are missing, along with Kinah and Dr. Fredericks.  A war could be coming....


                                                 http://authortaraelizabeth.com/




*image via Tara Elizabeth
*quotes via Tara Elizabeth

  

Denounced is out!

Denounced (Book 2 of The Exalted Series) by Tara Elizabeth is now                                                                                  available!!!

The Interview!!!-Tara Elizabeth

I recently got the privilege of having an email interview with Tara Elizabeth, author of Exalted and Zoo.  It was brief but we get to see a glimpse into the mind of this Indie Author!  See the interview below:



How long have you been writing?                                                            
- I dabbled a little when I was in school, but I began to write more seriously in 2010.

 When did you publish your first book?  

- I published my first book, EXALTED, in July 2012.

What was the deciding factor in becoming an Indie Author?

- LOL! Truthfully, rejection letters were the reason I became an Indie Author. After about three, I decided to do it all on my own. I’d seen that people like Amanda Hocking and Keary Taylor self-publish and become successful. I thought, why not me?  I’m enjoying where I’m at right now, and I’m so grateful to the people that support me.

 It is my understanding that you grew up in the south.  What (if any) impact has that had on your writing?

- Yes, growing up in Louisiana does have an impact on my writing. EXALTED is set across Texas and Louisiana, and Emma (from ZOO) is from Louisiana. The south is truly unique and I love it.

What was your inspiration for Exalted?

- The main character, Mena, inspired me. I imagined her before the story ever came about. She is so strong, both physically and mentally. I want to be more like her.

Is there any single thing (or person) that has been your biggest inspiration?

- My grandmother inspires me. She had a talent for writing and never pursued it. I hope I am making her proud.

What advice would you give to those wanting to become a published author?

- Just write. Get your story out. Then you can worry about all the other stuff.

                                       For more information check out Tara's website: 

                                                http://authortaraelizabeth.com/

             Be looking for Tara's new novel Denounced (Book 2 in the Exalted series)!  Coming soon!

Interview with Tara Elizabeth

                                                             


                                                         Coming Soon:

           a short email interview on my blog with Tara Elizabeth!!

Exalted by Tara Elizabeth

   Imagine a world you lived in where there are no emotions.  And everyone around you is like that.  No one smiles.  No one laughs.  The single most thought in your head being that you should be strong and defend The United Republic Of The Saved...

 This is the world of Mena.  Every day is the same.  Always training, always eating the same thing, sitting with the same people at lunch, and the single most dominating conversation piece always being The Republic.  But Mena knows no better.  She grew up in The Republic.  It has been her mindset since she was a small child.  She was an Exalted, a protector of The Republic.
   Long ago an apocalypse had happened, and the world was now a different place.  There had not been many survivors afterward, but those that did banded together.  They built a new colony.  And out of that rose those that were different than the rest.

    They were strong, fast, and fearless.  They were gods.

So it was that the Exalted, as they were called, were defenders of this new colony.  There were mere Citizens who needed the protection, as well as the Ambassadors. The Ambassadors were the ones in charge.  The strange thing was that the Citizens and the Ambassadors had emotions.  Mena starts to notice how their faces change, how they have tears that fall sometimes.  This is not a world she knows anything of, but she pays close attention.  Meanwhile, everyone is getting ready for the Trials.  The Exalted go through tests of strength and agility and are paired up to be United forever based upon their scores of these trials.  There is no falling in love.  It is purely to breed to have more like them.  The only problem is that although Mena doesn't feel love, she does not want to be paired with just anyone.  Her first choice would be her friend Ethan.
   Before the Trials begin, she meets an outsider by the name of Ryker.  He tells her that the purple pill they take every day, called the Pump, is causing her to have no emotions.  So she gets off of the Pump to see if he is right.  She wants to be stronger for the Trials.  She wants to be number one.  Sickness overtakes her for days.  Then she starts experiencing things like she never did.  And unfortunately that involves feelings for both Ethan and for Ryker, which confuses Mena because she has never been in love and doesn't really understand it.  And now that Mena knows what it feels like being off the Pump, things are changing for her, and she has decisions to make that she has never had in the past.  Choices.  A brand new concept..


   This book sucked me in!  It is a whole new concept to me reading, a novel about such a cult-like group of people.  They all have no idea what is really going on, and even though you don't see very much of that in this book, you get the feeling there is some really weird mess going on behind closed doors.  The Exalted are basically being controlled by the Pump and the Ambassadors.  Children go to live in dorms at the age of 5 and start taking the Pump.  Afterwards, all they want to do is be the best fighter and protect their Republic.  It is brainwashing 101.  This has gone on so long that no one blinks an eye when all of this stuff happens.  If someone dies in the Trials, which sometimes happens, they are deemed as having been weak and their name is no longer spoken.
   I, myself, cannot imagine a world without laughing, smiling, and love.  Even not having grief or anger would run a person mad if they knew it existed and knew what it felt like, but couldn't have it.  Perhaps that is why none of them care about these emotions.  They grew up just like this.  And everyone around them was the same way.  Crazy!  But a total cliff hanger at the end!  Can't wait for the next book! (which should be coming out pretty soon)

                                                      http://authortaraelizabeth.com/


*image via Tara Elizabeth
*quote via Tara Elizabeth