A Dream Within A Dream: Eleni McKnight

Showing posts with label Eleni McKnight. Show all posts

March 9, 2017

Home Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

Home

Author: Eleni McKnight
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release Date: November 22, 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Knowledge is a Dangerous Commodity

HOME - the last bastion of civilization in a corrupt and fallen world. Outside dwell the reanimated dead, cannibals, and scavengers; remnants of a once great race. Inside, the commune is ruled with an iron fist by Deacon, and administered without mercy by the Elders.

Everyone knows their place in HOME. Everyone is safe in HOME…as long as you follow the rules.

Handmaiden Suzannah Commons is content with training to be a wife and mother, the only occupation open to women in HOME. But her world is turned upside-down when she tastes the forbidden knowledge contained in outlawed books.

Suzannah discovers a new way of life is possible, but that knowledge comes at a high price. It could cost her life. Or the life of the boy she loves.

As I gathered Silas and Noah’s laundry, I heard a click behind me. I whirled around to see Silas standing there with a satchel in hand the door shut.

“Silas, no! Open the door!” I cried.

“I’m not going to do anything,” Silas said. “Except give you this.” He reached into the satchel and produced a book entitled Jane Eyre. “Well, not give it to you, but Papa can read this next. It’s one of Mother’s favorites.”

“What’s it about?”

“A girl who grows up to be equal with her husband,” he said.

“Like your mother?” I whispered.

He nodded.

“It’s kind of...dangerous then, isn’t it?”

He nodded again. “Yeah. This is one of the books that Deacon doesn’t want everybody knowing about. I borrowed another book.” He got out another book and showed it to me. I opened it to see the handwriting in it. It was hand-made. “It’s a book by a Deacon from years past.”

Eleni McKnight is a Murfreesboro, Tennessee native. She graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in Theatre with an emphasis in Literature and a wild passion for creating clothes and doing make-up. She's also an avid reader and loves music and theatre. She started writing at age eight when she had read all the Baby-Sitter's Club books that were out and wanted something new to read. It's never quite left her over the years

These days, you can usually find Eleni working backstage or costuming in local community theatres, reading a book, walking (that FitBit is addictive!), at a concert, drinking a craft beer with friends, knitting, embroidering, or taking a dance class.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 21, 2016

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Home by Eleni McKnight

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Book Blitz for

Home by Eleni McKnight!

Celebrate this release by entering the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Happy Release Week, Eleni!

Home

Author: Eleni McKnight

Publication Date: November 22, 2016

Published: WordCrafts Press, LLC.

Description:

Knowledge is a dangerous commodity in the Home commune, the last beacon of civilization against the fallen outside world. As Suzannah Commons begins to secretly read forbidden books, she jeopardizes her future for the forbidden love of the boy who supplies her new, dangerous habit, Silas Maars, and his family. Will her new-found knowledge be her destruction?

Suzannah is in training with the rest of the unmarried teenage girls in the Handmaiden House and Home’s laundry to become a bride when she accidentally comes upon a naked boy in one of the family quarters, Silas Maars. To see a naked man before marriage is an unforgivable sin in Home and a challenge to her precious status as a virgin, her only aspect of worth. This compromise to her purity would earn her an automatic exile in the Hard Labor Camp, a death sentence until the commune leader, Parson, sentences her to the punishment of serving Silas and his unusual family as a housekeeper. As she works for the Maars family and is isolated from the rest of the commune’s population, she discovers the frightening, threatening outside world is not as dangerous as she has been led to believe. The Maars family reveals to her that Deacon controls the population of Home by keeping them all ignorant, denying them education and books so he can teach his own twisted, corrupt, self-serving version of religion from the pulpit. As she learns the truth and begins to fall into a star-crossed love with Silas, her fate as a childbride to one of the lecherous Elders or a worker in the hard labor camp is drawing nigh.

Available for Purchase: AMAZON

I sat up and spotted something else. More stars hanging over a large, long desk. Is this more medicine? Did they leave a second package? I pulled the fabric out and beneath it was a light-colored box. It was more medicine. I was sure of it. Feeling proud to have discovered this second package, I decided to open it.

My eyes flew open wide. Instead of medicine there were more of those beautiful heart-shaped cookies. I picked one up. It felt soft and fresh. I broke it apart and popped a piece into my mouth. I literally melted in my mouth, the sweet taste making me feel like I was floating. I moaned softly.

“Suzannah? Where are you?”

“Here,” I answered.

Silas appeared in the empty doorway. “Did you find something?”

“Yes,” I said, holding out the box for him to see.

“And you’re planning on keeping them all for yourself?” Silas asked. I saw him grin in the moonlight.

“Maybe,” I grinned back. “I just ate one.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Silas said, “But you have to give me one.”

“Here,” I reached the box toward him, but he didn’t take it.

“Put it in my mouth for me,” he said. “My hands are dirty.”

“And mine aren’t?”

He opened his mouth and I realized he was serious. This was not like when Morris commanded me to feed him. This was something…different. This was…exciting. I broke off a piece of the pastry, and held it out to him, placing it on his tongue. His lips closed around my fingers. I jumped back and pulled my hand away. It felt like lightning had shot through my fingers, up my arm and straight down into my abdomen, setting my nerves on fire. I tingled from head to toe.

“Silas!” I giggled. “You can’t do that.”

But why can’t he do that? I liked it. I liked the feeling of his lips on my skin. Was this what a kiss felt like? Kissing was forbidden except for married people. I imagined Silas kissing me and a fire exploded in the base of my stomach, an unfamiliar and exciting feeling that made my heart race. I realized I wanted him to kiss me; to kiss me full on the mouth.

Eleni McKnight is a Murfreesboro, Tennessee native and graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in Theatre with an emphasis in Literature. This left her with a wild passion for creating costumes and doing make-up in her freetime, along with her intense passion for reading from her childhood. She started writing at age eight when she had read all the Baby-Sitter's Club books she had brought along for a road trip at age nine, and wanted something new to read. It's never quite left her over the years.

These days, you can usually find her working backstage or costuming in local community theatres, reading a book, walking/exercising, at a concert, drinking a craft beer with friends, knitting, embroidering, or taking a dance class.