Diverse Reader: Blog Tour: Ghosts & Ashes by F.T.Lukens #Review #Giveaway #Excerpt #Interview

Author: F.T. Lukens
Book: Ghosts & Ashes
Series: Broken Moon #2
Publisher: Interlude Press
Publication date: March 9, 2017
Length: 73, 600 words

Reviewed by Meredith

Synopsis

Three months have passed since the events of The Star Host, and Ren is living aboard the Star Stream under the watchful eyes of the Phoenix Corps. Plagued by vivid nightmares that ravage the ship in his sleep, he struggles to prove he isn’t a threat and fears he has traded one captor for another. His relationship with Asher, whose efforts to balance his personal loyalty to Ren with his professional duties to the Corps are failing, fractures.

Adrift without an anchor, Ren must return to his home planet of Erden if he has any chance of reversing his dangerous descent into madness. There, he hopes search for his missing brother and salvage his relationship with Asher. What he nds is knowledge that puts everyone’s allegiance to the test.

Buy Links

Interlude Press * Amazon * B&N *

Apple * Google * Kobo * Smashwords *

Book Depository * Indiebound

Review

I can’t tell you how excited I was when this book came across my email to review! I loved The Star Host (Book one) so freaking much! The writing is descriptive and beautiful. There’s a poetry in the way the author talks about people and situations. And I was constantly on the edge of my seat and I was pulling for Ren and Asher throughout!

In Ghosts & Ashes there’s quite the character shift in my opinion. Ren really embraces his star and has a hard time getting himself balanced. Asher… I sort of missed the Asher from book one. The disconnect between Ren and Asher in this one was so sad and my heart broke terribly.

Ghost & Ashes is, if you can believe it, a lot more angsty and haunting than the first one. I loved the book and following the journey of both characters; but if by the end of this book you don’t want to fling your Ereader across the room, you read it wrong. Yeah you guessed it… cliffy!

When reading a series, when knowing you’re reading one, you have to accept the voice in the back of your mind whispering, “Accept the fact a lot won’t be resolved.” Now things happened. People were found, answers were given, and small victories were had. But…. Yeah there’s a but…. Go into this knowing there’s at least another book after this one.

I understand the reason for the distance between Ren and Asher. But I didn’t have to like it. I adored their connection so much in book one and all they were able to do for each other, to see it fracture so epically in this hurt. Because of its ending I will impatiently wait for book three. There’s still people to find, others to NOW rescue, and a heck of a lot more answers needed.

This is a wonderfully creative, brilliantly written sci-fi YA series. I adore it to pieces and very much recommend you read it!

Excerpt

Ren poured his power outward. The force field created a partial wall between the captives and the Corps. The comms shrieked. The pulse guns spat electricity, came alive in the hands of those who wielded them, and sparked and sputtered, shocking the Corpsmen with forks and tangles of electricity. They fell, writhing on the ground, even Zag. Ren vibrated with their screams, tasted the burn of skin and hair, but it wasn’t enough.

They had destroyed his home. They had made it so Ren could never return to what he was before. They had scared Ezzy, who was only a girl with a crush, who wanted to prove herself capable in a warzone when she should’ve been learning at school, playing in the woods, swimming in the lake, or blushing around boys. They had threatened them, frightened them, and they would burn, as Ren did, blaze in misery and despair, and thrash in pain until their veins blackened and peeled like wires, until their bones glowed like circuits.

The power flowed from him in a torrent, and he pushed it, and pushed it. He ensured those responsible were filled until they burst, until their souls were scorched out of them, until their humanity had crumbled to dust as his had.

Interview

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing FT Lukens author of Ghosts & Ashes.

Hi FT, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi! Thanks for having me. My current book, Ghosts & Ashes, is the second book in the Broken Moon series. This book continues the adventures of Ren and Asher and the rest of the Star Stream crew.

1) What’s the best line you ever wrote?

This is my favorite from my current release Ghosts & Ashes:

They had threatened them, frightened them, and they would burn, as Ren did, blaze in misery and despair, and thrash in pain until their veins blackened and peeled like wires, until their bones glowed like circuits.

I know it’s a little macabre and bleak but this excerpt is about halfway through the book and Ren has had a rough time of it.

2) Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?

Music is a must while I’m writing. I usually listen to songs with a fast beat and songs that are familiar to me so I’m not accidentally concentrating on the lyrics instead of writing.

While writing Ghosts & Ashes – I listened to a lot of Pentatonix, Bastille, X Ambassadors, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, Rise Against etc.

3) If your book were made into a movie, what actors would you like to see star?

This is my favorite question.

For Ren – my current fancast is Dev Patel. He may be a little old now, but I love him. I also think Devon Bostick, who plays Jasper on The 100, would be a good choice.

For Asher – This one is always tougher. I love Bradley James. I also love James Paxton. One of my friends always says Austin Butler who I don’t know but from looking at pictures is also a great choice.

*Update – I came back to this question a few times while writing this up and my friend suggested Ben Hardy. And yes. BEN HARDY. Perfect fancasting right there. So yes, I still love the other potential Ashers but Ben Hardy is my top choice now.

For Rowan – Natalie Dormer

4) What genres do you write in?

I prefer to write in genres that I know well. So I usually stick to speculative fiction such as sci-fi and urban fantasy. I also love steampunk. Of course Ghosts & Ashes is sci-fi but also has a western vibe.

5) Where and when do you prefer to write?

I write whenever I have time. I work a full-time job and have three kids. So I usually write late at night when everyone is asleep. On the weekends, I write when I can squeeze in time between activities and naps.

About the Author

F.T. Lukens is an author of Young Adult ction who got her start by placing second out of ten thousand entries in a fan community writing contest. A sci- enthusiast, F.T. loves Star Trek and Fire y and is a longtime member of her college’s science- ction club. She holds degrees in Psychology and English Literature and has a love of cheesy television shows, superhero movies, and writing. F.T. lives in North Carolina with her husband, three kids, and three cats.

Her rst novel in the Broken Moon series, The Star Host, was published by Duet Books in 2016.