Synopsis:
Zoey Valentine is finally safe. Tucked away miles underground in the fortified community of the Sanctuary.
But the Sanctuary is far from what she imagined. Zoey can’t help but feel trapped. Sekhmet, the evil corporation behind the Awakened, is still out there and now, citizens of the Sanctuary are disappearing. It isn’t until the bodies of the missing turn up mutilated, each one tagged with a note, a warning, signed by Razi Cylon.
Problem is, Razi should be dead. Sekhmet has existed for far too long, and Zoey has had enough.
It's time to end it all.
Find the Book Here on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33301817-the-sanctuary
Order Links:
(The books are available in both paperback and ebook format!)
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sanctuary-sara-elizabeth-santana/1125069476?ean=9780995679290
Author Biography:
Sara Elizabeth Santana is a young adult and new adult fiction writer. She has worked as a smoothie artist, Disneyland cast member, restaurant supervisor, nanny, photographer, pizza delivery driver and barista but writing is what she loves most. Her first story was written at age nine. She runs her own nerd girl/book review blog, What A Nerd Girl Says. Her favorite books are a tie between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling and Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. She lives in Southern California with her dad, five siblings and two dogs. Her debut novel is The Awakened.
Click here to visit her website: http://sesantanawrites.com/
Excerpt from The Sanctuary:
I blinked a few more times, staring at her. “Excuse me? There’s someone at the door? For me?” I ran my fingers through my bedridden hair and stared at her. “Who?”
“The Director,” she whispered, her eyes wide. Her expression told me that the Director visiting someone’s private quarters was not a regular occurrence. I hurried out of bed, pushing back the covers. I made sure my pajamas were at least on straight before heading to the door and pressing my wristband to the plate.
The wristband was my life at Sanctuary. It contained all of my personal information, including everything about my health. It gave me access to my room and other places that I needed to be and it was the device that kept me updated with my daily schedule. When I had been granted one, after my original medical examinations, I learned that it didn’t come off and it was water resistant, amongst other things. The first few weeks, it had chaffed and I had rolled on top of it in my sleep many times, but now I was used to it.
The doors slid open. Octavia was standing just outside the doorway. She looked perfect as usual, not at all like it was four in the morning. She wore black, the way everyone else wore black in this place, but she didn’t wear the same nondescript shirts and pants we did. She always managed to be in a dress or skirt, not a wrinkle or rumple in them.
“Director,” I addressed her. “This is a surprise. Is there something wrong?”
“I apologize for waking you at such an hour, Zoey,” she said, a concerned look on her face. “But this is an urgent matter. Please follow me.”
I looked over my shoulder at Kaya, who looked frightened. My stomach dropped but I turned back to Octavia and nodded. “Of course.”
She led me down the hallway and out of the resident floors. We turned down into an unfamiliar corridor and ended up at a door, with a special access pad. I hadn’t seen one of these since arriving at Sanctuary. She pressed her thumb to it and it opened soundlessly. Behind the door was an elevator and we hurried inside.
The elevator traveled up and up until it finally came to a halt. When we exited, we were met with Octavia’s second in command, Patrick, who was standing with a rumpled Ash. My stomach dropped even more.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I asked, rushing toward him.
Ash’s arms reached out and quickly wrapped around me. I pressed my face against his chest, inhaling his scent. “I’m fine. I didn’t know you would be here. Are you okay?”
I pulled away slightly and looked up at him. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” I looked over at Octavia and Patrick. “What is going on?”
“Please, follow us,” was the only answer we received as we rushed after them. We didn’t have to go very far until we turned into a very large office. Octavia crossed the room and sat down at the chair behind the desk, while Patrick perched on the edge of it. Two empty chairs were in front, obviously for us. Ash collapsed in one seat and pulled me into his lap. Both Octavia and Patrick stared at us, but I took comfort in Ash’s warmth. Whatever was about to happen, I was happy he was there.
“We received a…package an hour ago. It was accompanied with a note. The note was addressed to you. We took the package immediately, and you will receive that in just a moment.” Octavia reached for an envelope on the desk and handed it to me.
My fingers shook as I took the envelope. My name was written in perfect handwriting on the front. I stared at it before using a fingernail to break the seal. A note fell out, on a small square of cardstock. My hands gripped it tightly as my eyes roamed the page. They widened and I gasped. “No. NO. This can’t be real.”
“Zoey?” Ash’s voice was low in my ear. When I didn’t answer, he grabbed the note out of my hand and read it out loud. “Zoey, I hope you enjoy my gift. I am so looking forward to seeing you again. Fondly…” He paused and his face paled. “Razi Cylon.” Ash’s fists clenched, the note crumpling in his hand. “What the fuck?”
“Language, Mr. Matthews,” Patrick said, but Ash didn’t listen.
“This is a joke, right? It’s not real. Dr. Razi Cylon is dead. She can’t be writing notes to Zoey because she’s dead. I saw her die. I saw her get shot.”
“You yourself were shot at the moment that this happened, Mr. Matthews,” Octavia pointed out. “Forgive me if your witness is not taken as fact.”
“I, however, was not shot,” I cut in, my voice shaking. “I saw her get shot. Bert shot her in the throat. How could she even survive that?”
“Razi Cylon has some of the best doctors in the world at her facility. It would not be impossible that she survived. This is also her handwriting. That much is true.”
My breathing grew erratic and for a moment, the world went black. It was like every nightmare came to life. She was alive. The past three months of safety were nothing but a farce. She was alive. She would never stop. She would never stop until I was dragged, kicking and screaming, back into her underground hellhole. She would never stop until I was in her control again. “She can’t be. She just can’t be.”
Ash’s hand rubbed my back again and again in circles. His warm palm against my back was a source of comfort and I focused on that, not on the fact that my world was crumbling down around me. “What was the package? What is this gift?”
It was the only moment that Octavia showed anything more than complete calmness. “I think it would be better to show you. Perhaps we can understand the meaning of it more.” She gestured toward the guard at the door and he opened it. Someone stepped in and I nearly fell off Ash’s lap.
He was beaten, broken. There were bruises along his jawline and he looked much smaller than the last time I had seen him. His hair was longer and he was barely standing. But I knew him. I would never forget that face.
I jumped up, nearly sprinting across the room. “Liam. Liam.”
I don't know about you guys, but I'm super pumped to dive into the book after reading that!
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If you want to check out the rest of the blog tour, the following will be where you can find even more cool excerpts, author interviews, and guest posts!
January 10th:
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Just click on the Rafflecopter link below:
Important things to know about the Giveaway:
1.) It starts January 10th and ends January 27th.
2.) Prizes will be shipped at the end of January.
3.) The giveaway is available internationally!
4.) The prizes include:
-1st Place Prize Winner: Signed Copy of The Sanctuary with
swag bag (bracelets, buttons, bookmarks)
-2nd Place Prize Winners: An ebook (your choice) of The
Sanctuary and two signed bookmarks
