Book Blitz: "The Mark of Noba" by GL Tomas (with Excerpt)

  Welcome to The Mark of Noba book blitz!

 
Today is my stop for the book blitz regarding The Mark of Noba by GL Tomas. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours, and it runs from 25 till 31 August; you can view the complete schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours here.

GL Tomas is the pen name of twin sisters Guinevere and Libertad Tomas, also known as @Dos_Twinjas (or @RebelliousCupid) on Twitter. I met Guin and Libby during my first year of blogging, when they started their own blog Twinja Book Reviews. So yeah, they are blogging pals and friends, whose major purpose as book bloggers is to spread the love of diverse books. It got to the point where they felt the need to actually contribute to the diversity issue in YA lit by writing a fantasy tetralogy called The Sterling Wayfairer Series. Its first installment, The Mark of Noba, is GL Tomas' debut novel. After posting the cover reveal and a first excerpt from the book a few days ago, Offbeat YA is now proud to present you a second excerpt...I opted out of a review precisely because I'm friends with the authors - I didn't want anyone to think I was biased :). So yeah, new excerpt it had to be. Click on the "Wanna read more" link...you know you're curious ;D.

Tetra and Sterling about to kick asses :). But wait...what lurks behind them?

Out since August 25th

The Mark of Noba 
(The Sterling Wayfairer Series, book 1)

Genres: Fantasy
Age Category: Young Adult
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Cover Artist: Alice Bessoni
Add on Goodreads: The Mark of Noba
Buy on Amazon: The Mark of Noba (Kindle Version) | The Mark of Noba (Paperback Version)

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career - distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: he and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive. 

Excerpt 

     I made my way to the top and timed myself at thirty-one seconds. Not better, but not bad for the days I took off. I thought it might help to freestyle a bit, to feel as though I’d worked. I didn’t brag about it, but it was euphoric to swim a fifty-meter lap in less than a minute. Guess that’s what happened when you kept at something. You got better at it. Who knew?
     At my tenth lap, my lats started burning from the resistance. What better time than now to take a breather. I was nearing the pool’s edge, about to call it quits, when a vacuum-like pull dragged me back under the water. What the hell was going on?
    I swam with war-like effort, but with every stroke I made, I seemed to sink deeper…deeper…
     Did I push myself too hard? Maybe, but if I didn’t push hard now, I was going to drown.
     Don’t panic, Sterling, you can do this! But no matter how hard I went, I’d reach a certain point and get sucked back down. I must be losing sanity points on top of oxygen because the next thing I saw was something I couldn’t believe. Shadows of what looked like two people. I was too deep to see features, but they were fighting…on top of the water.
     Torpedoes of waves shot toward the pool’s surface with a violent quickness that almost pummeled me. I had to get up for air and now! The closer I swam to the top, the stronger the waves became.
     There’d been two gusts of waves a minute ago, but now I counted eight at a time. I was sure I’d surpassed my current record of thirty-six seconds underwater, but that wouldn’t mean much if I was dead. I mustered what strength I had left before I had to open my mouth for air, but when I reached the surface, it was entirely solid.
     I didn’t have much strength and soon I’d have to open my mouth. I used whatever in me I had left to break through the surface. No use - it was hard like a metal door. I wouldn’t be able to break it open, not with my bare hands.
     I was going to drown. I took one deep exhale. It gave me a few seconds, but my lungs cried for oxygen.
     A strong force hit the water. Someone was sinking with me. It was so fast, but seemed like slow motion. I didn’t make out her face, but I reached for their hand. Contrasting skin color. My mouth opened, allowing water to flood my throat, burning into my lungs. I couldn’t fight it anymore. At least I wouldn’t die alone.

About GL Tomas:

Guinevere and Libertad go by many superhero aliases. Whether you know them by G.L. Tomas, the Twinjas, or the Rebellious Valkyries, their mission is always the same: spreading awareness of diversity in books. Oh, and trying to figure out the use for pocketless pants! They host other allies and champions of diversity in their secret lair in Connecticut.

GL Tomas goes to Hollywood :)

You can find and contact GL Tomas here:
 
- Website: Twinja Book Reviews
- Facebook author: RVPress.Cupid
- Facebook book blog: Twinja Book Reviews
- Twitter account Libertad: @afrocubansista
- Twitter account Guinevere: @aravere
- Twitter account YA book blog: @Dos_Twinjas
- Twitter account NA, romance and adult books:
   Rebellious Cupid
- Goodreads author: GL Tomas
- Pinterest author: Rebellious Valkyrie
- Pinterest book blog: Twinja Books
- Book Blog Tumblr: Twinja Book Reviews