Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sarah will be awarding $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn commenter and a signed copy of her new book, Conspiracy Girl, to a second randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (US/Canada only on books). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When 17-year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she's taken into police custody for her own protection. But when bullets start flying, it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she's a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre - but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there's a long way to fall.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt:

‘So, Liva,’ Yoyo says from up front. ‘You from round here?’

Marisa whacks him across the handbrake. ‘Does she look like she’s from round here?’ she hisses. ‘Does she sound like she’s from round here?’

‘No,’ I say over the top of her. ‘I’m not from round here. I grew up overseas. I just moved to New York.’

‘Oh yeah? Where were you living before?’

‘Oman,’ I say.

‘Where’s that?’ Yoyo asks.

‘It’s in the Middle East, bro,’ Jay says, smirking.

‘The Middle East?’ Yoyo asks, frowning as he glances back at me over his shoulder. I guess he’s wondering where my burqa is or something like that. It’s what some people immediately assume or joke about when I tell them where I grew up. ‘You like it there?’

‘Yeah,’ I say. Briefly, I try to picture my house and my friends, but they seem so far away, like characters from a book I once read. I wonder if I’ll ever see the place again.

‘So, why’d you leave?’

I ponder my answer.

‘Boyfriend troubles?’ Yoyo asks, in an obvious attempt to pry into my romantic status. No doubt on Jay’s behalf.

I realise that I don’t want Jay thinking that I have a boyfriend, so I answer quickly. Too quickly – without thinking. ‘No. I got expelled.’

Jay’s jaw drops. He shifts in his seat so he can to look at me face on. ‘You got expelled?’

‘Yeah, why’s that so hard to believe?’ I say, kind of insulted.

He shakes his head at me in wonder. ‘You’re just full of surprises, Moneypenny.’

That buzz hits me in the solar plexus again. I’m even starting to not mind the Moneypenny name-calling.

‘What did you do? Skip cheerleading practice one too many times?’ This from Marisa.

‘I don’t cheerlead. And no.’

‘Drugs?’ Yoyo asks.

‘No. I don’t do drugs either.’

‘Drink?’

‘No.’

‘You found a really straight one here, Jay,’ Yoyo laughs.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that,’ Jay answers, smiling at me knowingly across the gloom of the back seat.

‘So what was it for then?’ Marisa asks, turning around. Even her interest has been piqued.

‘I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been,’ I say, glancing sideways at Jay, who’s still watching me hawk-eyed.

‘Like where?’ Yoyo asks. ‘Wait! With who? Were you having an affair with a teacher?’

‘No. God!’ I say.

‘Let me guess,’ says Jay, grinning at me. ‘You climbed on to the roof of your school?’

‘No,’ I say, leaving a long pause before I say, ‘the clock tower.’

‘With a gun?’ Yoyo asks. ‘’Cause you know, I can see why they might have expelled you for that.’

‘No, not with a gun.’

‘Then what were you doing up there?’

‘I just wanted to see what the view was like.’

About the Author:Sarah is the author of Hunting Lila (winner of the Kingston Book Award), Losing Lila, Fated, The Sound, Out of Control, and Conspiracy Girl (all Simon & Schuster).

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the nonprofit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home (a journey that was documented on this blog and which is shortly to be published as a book).

After almost a year spent travelling the world, they settled in Bali where they lived for five beautiful years before the vagabonding urge became too great and they decided to embark on Can We Live Here part two. They are currently located somewhere between India, London, Canada and the US.

As well as writing young adult novels and screenplays, Sarah also writes adult fiction for Pan Macmillan (Simon & Schuster in the US) under the name Mila Gray.

Her first adult novel, Come Back To Me, was published in June 2014. The second, This One Moment, will be out in August 2015.


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