Watch for the Horizon + Giveaway
Book Title: Horizon by Tabitha Lord
Category: Adult Fiction, 314 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Release date: December 2015
Book Description:
Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.
Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive because a beautiful young woman is healing him with her mind.
As Derek recovers, Caeli shares the horror of her past and her fear for the future. When Derek’s command ship, Horizon, sends rescue, Derek convinces Caeli to leave with him. But his world is as treacherous as hers—full of spies, interplanetary terrorist plots, and political intrigue. Soon the Horizon team is racing to defend an outlying planet from a deadly enemy, and Caeli’s unique skills may just give them the edge they need to save it.
My Review
I thought this book was a nice introduction to this world that the author has built. The characters are fine. They all did have different voices but to be honest, none really stood out above the rest and this includes the two main characters, Derek and Caeli. Yes, Caeli may be different from the rest but she was a bit on the reserved side. Which in the beginning I could understand as everything was new to Caeli. Yet, as the story progressed and everyone became accepting of Caeli and her abilities; I wanted her to open up more. Where her and Derek's relationship is concerned, it was slow and mild. There was some action that Derek, Caeli and the rest of his crew encountered. Overall, as much as I liked the story aspect and the character building, there were moments in the book that were unremembered. Though, the other factors of the book that I enjoyed are enough to make me willing to check out the next book, which I hope to see Caeli grow stronger.
Buy the Book:
Meet the Author:
Tabitha currently lives in Rhode Island. She is married, has four great kids, two spoiled cats, and lovable lab mix. Her degree is in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and she taught Latin for years at an independent Waldorf school, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees.
Tabitha’s debut novel, Horizon, won the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize for Self-Published Fiction in 2016, and was named finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and National Indie Excellence Awards. Infinity, the second book in the Horizon series, will be released in June 2017. Her short story “Homecoming” appears in the anthology Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish and published by World Weaver Press, and was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is also a senior editor for www.BookClubBabble.com.
Visit her blog at www.tabithalordauthor.com where she discusses favorite topics including parenting, teaching, and her writing journey.
Connect with Tabitha: Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram
How long have you been writing? How
did you start?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I loved to
write stories as a child. In fact, when I was sorting through some of my
grandma’s things after she passed, I came across a whole collection of poetry
and stories I’d written. It was very sweet. In my previous job I’d written some
ad copy, blog posts, and done some editing for school publications, but I had
very little time or energy for creative writing, and I had that crippling
notion that I couldn’t write a whole book. Then, while I was in the middle of a
work project, I just sat down and started writing my first book, Horizon. I remember the exact day. I was
spending the weekend with my best friend. I woke up early, sat on her couch
under a blanket, and opened my laptop. Nine months later, I finished the first
draft. Being a mom, the significance of that timeline isn’t lost on me!
What are the challenges of writing in
the science fiction genre?
With science fiction, or
any kind of speculative fiction really, it’s the writer’s job to convince the
reader to join them on a journey, to a believably unbelievable world – a world we’ve created. To do that well, we
have to make “rules” of magic or science or witchcraft or whatever, and we have
to be consistent with them. I think successful world building is one of the
biggest challenges in writing science fiction. When it’s done well, it’s
seamless. When it’s done poorly, it pulls the reader right out of the story.
What elements do you think make a successful
science fiction novel?
Well, there are different
kinds of science fiction. I’m writing what I like – space opera. So for me, the
characters and their journey are particularly important. I sometimes tell
people that the Horizon series is a
story about the underground resistance movement of WWII, but set on another
planet. I like playing with the idea of what makes a hero. Who takes a stand
against the enemy, what decisions do they make when civilization is falling
apart, and how are they affected by it all? My characters have to suffer, fall
down, fall in love, and most of all evolve. If I’ve done a good job, readers
will want to follow them into the next book!
Do you write in any other categories
or genres?
Yes! I’ve
recently had a fantasy story, titled “Homecoming,” published by World Weaver
Press in the anthology Sirens. I’ve also worked on some non-fiction
projects. As a senior editor for Book Club Babble, I interview other authors
and review new books. I’ve also spent months working with kids with cancer and
their families for an awareness campaign called Project 3.8. Non-fiction is a
very different kind of writing, but no less rewarding.
What's the one thing you can't live
without in your writing life?
Are tea and chocolate
acceptable answers?
May 22 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Horizon / giveaway
May 22 - To Be Read - review of Horizon
May 23 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Infinity / giveaway
May 24 - 411 on Books, Authors and Publishing News - spotlight / guest post/giveaway
May 25 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Horizon / giveaway
May 26 - Cheryl' Book Nook - review of Horizon / author interview / giveaway
May 29 - Book review nature photos and everything in between - review of Horizon
May 30 - Library of Clean Reads - review of Horizon / giveaway
May 31 - Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf - review of Horizon / giveaway
May 31 - Lisa Loves Literature - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 1 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review on Horizon
June 2 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review on Infinity
June 5 - Haddie's Haven - review of Horizon / guest post / giveaway
June 6 - The Autistic Gamer - review of Horizon
June 7 - The Autistic Gamer - review of Infinity
June 8 - Library of Clean Reads - review of Horizon / giveaway
June 9 - Cheryl' Book Nook - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 12 - To Be Read - review of Infinity
June 12 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review of Horizon / giveaway
June 13 - Haddie's Haven - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 14 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - review of Horizon
June 15 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 16 - 100 Pages A Day - review of Horizon / guest post / giveaway
June 19 - Elsie's Audiobook Digest - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 20 - Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 21 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 22 - Books, Dreams, Life - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 26 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Horizon / giveaway
June 27 - Crossroad Reviews - review of Horizon
June 28 - Baker Kella - review of Horizon / author interview / giveaway
June 29 - Baker Kella - review of Infinity / giveaway
June 30 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Horizon
July 3 - Book review nature photos and everything in between - review of Infinity
July 4 - Sharing Stories - review of Horizon
July 4 - Books for Books - review of Horizon
July 5 - Lukten av trykksverte - review of Horizon / giveaway
July 6 - JBronder Book Reviews - review of Horizon / guest post
July 7 - JBronder Book Reviews - review of Infinity
July 7 - A Book Geek - review of Horizon
July 10 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Infinity / giveaway
July 11 - Books for Books - review of Infinity
July 11 - Crossroad Reviews - review of Infinity
July 12 - Lukten av trykksverte - review of Infinity / giveaway
July 13 - A Book Geek - review of Infinity
July 13 - Reviews in the City - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 14 - Sharing Stories - review of Infinity
July 14 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Infinity
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Comments
:) Megan | Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest