Smoked Blog Tour: Excerpt, Character Interview + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for SMOKED by Mari Mancusi! Today I have a fun character profile/interview to share with you, along with a great excerpt from the book - and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Smoked (Scorched #3)
Author: Mari Mancusi
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Description:

Once upon a time the world burned.

Until a girl and her dragon smothered the flame.

But the spark that ignited the apocalypse never went out.

And the scorch is about to begin…

When Team Dragon rescues Emmy from the government lab, they think the future is finally safe. But they soon discover that Emmy has a secret—a secret so dangerous it could trigger the very apocalypse Connor and Caleb were sent back in time to prevent.

As a dragon hunter, Connor has committed his life to saving the world. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to complete his mission…even if it meant betraying his brother and losing Trinity’s heart. Even if it meant doing the unthinkable.

But a desperate choice meant to prevent The Scorch, may be the spark that sets the world aflame once more.

The epic conclusion to the genre-bending Scorched series, which Melissa de la Cruz, New York Times bestselling author of the Blue Bloods series, called  "A heart-pounding, twisty, time-travel fantasy.”

CONNOR

Full Name: Connor Jacks

Nickname (if applicable): Dragon Hunter

Height: 6’

Hair Color: brown  

Eye Color: blue

Age:  17

Originally from: Strata A – 200 years in the future

Describe yourself in 200 words or less:

I’m a Dragon Hunter from the future who was sent back in time 200 years to find the world’s last dragon egg that has been unearthed from a melting glacier. My mission: destroy the egg and save the world. I am brave, steadfast, loyal and honorable and I believe in obeying orders above all. After all, disobeying orders when I was a child resulted in my father’s death, something I still blame myself for.

What matters most to you?

My mission. I was sent here to save the world and no one will stop me from doing it. Also, Trinity, my girlfriend. Unfortunately, more often than not, these two things are at odds with one another – a source of continual frustration.

When not trying to save the world, how do you spend your time?

I don’t understand the question. I am always trying to save the world.

If money was no object and you had 3 weeks of vacation from being on the run what would you do with your time?

Probably go crazy, ha ha. But seriously, I might ask Trinity to teach me how to play her videogames. I know they mean a lot to her.  

“Okay, Fire Kissed,” he said. “It’s showtime.”

Together they jumped out of the truck, slamming the doors behind them. Connor ran around the back, rolling up the door and pulling out a huge box. Trinity helped him heave it onto the loading dock.

“Are you okay in there?” she whispered to the box. “Perfect,” Nate assured her from inside. “You guys go on ahead. I should be close enough now to hack into their security cameras and get them offline.” He paused then added, “Good luck. Just don’t forget about me once you have your dragon.”

“Never,” Trinity assured him, patting the box. Then she rose to her feet and approached Connor. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

With confident, casual steps, they strode up to the guard, who was propped in a chair by the elevator, his feet up, nose in a book, completely ignoring the chaos around him. Guess deliveries weren’t in his job description. Connor gave him a small smile. “We need the elevator,” he informed him.

“Yeah, well, I need my ex-wife to get off my back,” the guard said lazily, snapping his gum. “We’ve all got problems.” Connor’s eyes zeroed in on him. “I don’t think you understand,” he said. “We need the elevator. We need to get upstairs. You need to let us in.”

Trinity drew in a breath, watching him work. She had to admit, Connor looked particularly hot when he was working to manipulate people’s minds. It was like he got this look in his eyes—those blue, glowing eyes of his—like he was some kind of Jedi Master or something. Truth be told, it kind of made her want to jump his bones. Not that this was the time or the place.

Pushing the inappropriate thought down, she turned back to his victim. Sure enough, the man’s face had gone slack, and he was staring up at Connor with vacant eyes. “You need the elevator,” he droned. “You need to get upstairs. You need me to let you in.”

Then, to Trinity’s excitement, he slowly rose to his feet, walked over to the elevator in question, and inserted his key. Just like that. A moment later, the doors yawned open. The guard looked at them expectantly.

Trin flashed Connor an approving look. You didn’t even need my help for that one, she teased.

Yeah, well, it’s all you from here on out, he shot back, but he looked pleased by the compliment all the same.

Mari Mancusi is a two-time Emmy award-winning television producer and author of novels for adults and teens. A graduate of Boston University, she now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and young daughter. When not writing or producing she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading fantasy novels, and her favorite guilty pleasure: video games.

Author Links:
http://www.marimancusi.com/
http://www.twitter.com/marimancusi
https://www.facebook.com/bloodcovenvampires
http://www.instagram.com/marimancusi
http://feedyourdragons.tumblr.com/
http://www.marimancusi.blogspot.com/

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1PuccBD

Apple: http://apple.co/1IVqWan

BAM: http://bit.ly/1TMFaT3

B&N: http://bit.ly/1HQImB0

Chapters: http://bit.ly/1WxqlCH

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1Jcg2hV

a Rafflecopter giveaway