A Dream Within A Dream: Tracing Shadows

April 19, 2018

Tracing Shadows Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

TRACING SHADOWS (Scout #1)

Author: Alex Lidell

Release Date: April 8, 2018

Publisher: Alex Lidell

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Amazon, Goodreads

Description:

To protect the throne, seventeen-year-old spy Kali must play a male guardsman trainee by day and royal lady by night. 

Orphaned and trained on a spymaster’s remote estate, Kali is a scout who works alone in the shadows. But when a terror group threatens the Dansil throne, the king forces Kali to accept a mission at the palace or forfeit her sister’s life.  Suddenly thrust into the light, Kali must infiltrate high society as the royal Lady Lianna while penetrating the servant ranks as Kal, a male guardsman trainee. It doesn’t help that Trace, the harsh and enigmatic captain of the king’s guard, is soon assigned as both Lady Lianna’s palace escort and Kal’s commanding officer. 

As Kali edges closer to the truth behind the violent group’s identity, she uncovers dangerous secrets that could bring her mission to a brutal end. A scout’s job is to observe and report, never to engage . . . but if it means saving her sister and kingdom, Kali may have no choice. 

TRACING SHADOWS, by Amazon bestselling author Alex Lidell, is the first novel in the Scout series. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas. 

“What are you doing?” Trace asks, a note of alarm in his low voice.

“Taking off my shirt. Your shirt. Your shirt that is on me.” Stars take me. I shake off his touch before my hot skin sets Trace, the creek, and the whole bloody forest on fire. “I’m a scout. Scouts aren’t raised to have much modesty.” There. An explanation. I’m one of the men, and it would behoove both Trace and me to remember that.

“Yes, well.” Trace coughs and turns his back to me. “I’m not a scout. So...just tell me when you are through.”

Right. I take a few steps toward an overhanging branch where I can hang my scouting outfit, and I’m spreading them to dry when Trace’s soft voice hits my back. “You are a great deal more than a scout.”

I swallow and feign deafness. When I turn again, Trace is submerging himself in the freezing creek. He surfaces with a snarl, like a disgruntled lion, the water lapping his waist and running from his silver hair down the grooves of his spine.

“Hurry up and wash,” he calls without turning.

“You could wait on the shore, you know,” I call back, pulling off his shirt.

Trace makes a sound in the back of his throat. “I prefer this,” he says tightly and takes a step deeper into the freezing water.

Alex Lidell is the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). She is an avid horseback rider, a (bad) hockey player, and an ice-cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s life long love for YA fantasy books. Alex is represented by Leigh Feldman of Leigh Feldman Literary. She lives in Washington, DC.

Join Alex's newsletter for news, bonus content and sneak peeks: www.subscribepage.com/TIDES 

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(3) winners will receive an eBook set of Alex’s TIDES SERIES & an eBook of TRACING SHADOWS - OPEN INTERNATIONAL!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/9/2018- A Backwards Story- Review

4/9/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Excerpt

4/10/2018- Zach's YA Reviews- Review

4/10/2018- Reese's Reviews- Review

4/11/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

4/11/2018- History from a Woman’s Perspective- Review

4/12/2018- Myth and Magic Book Club- Review

4/12/2018- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

4/13/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review

4/13/2018- Paulette's Papers- Excerpt

Week Two:

4/16/2018- Read. Eat. Love.- Review

4/16/2018- Zooloo Book Blog- Excerpt

4/17/2018- Lauren is Reading- Review

4/17/2018- Book Briefs- Review

4/18/2018- The Underground- Excerpt

4/18/2018- Don't Judge, Read- Review

4/19/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review

4/19/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

4/20/2018- The BookWorm Drinketh- Review

4/20/2018- TwoChicks on Books- Excerpt

April 8, 2018

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Tracing Shadows by Alex Lidell

I am so excited that TRACING SHADOWS by Alex Lidell is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Alex Lidell, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a 3 eBook sets of Alex’s TIDES series & TRACING SHADOWS, International, courtesy of Alex and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Tracing Shadows (Scout #1)

Author: Alex Lidell

Release Date: April 8, 2018

Publisher: Alex Lidell

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Amazon, Goodreads

Description:

To protect the throne, seventeen-year-old spy Kali must play a male guardsman trainee by day and royal lady by night.
Orphaned and trained on a spymaster’s remote estate, Kali is a scout who works alone in the shadows. But when a terror group threatens the Dansil throne, the king forces Kali to accept a mission at the palace or forfeit her sister’s life.

Suddenly thrust into the light, Kali must infiltrate high society as the royal Lady Lianna while penetrating the servant ranks as Kal, a male guardsman trainee. It doesn’t help that Trace, the harsh and enigmatic captain of the king’s guard, is soon assigned as both Lady Lianna’s palace escort and Kal’s commanding officer.

As Kali edges closer to the truth behind the violent group’s identity, she uncovers dangerous secrets that could bring her mission to a brutal end. A scout’s job is to observe and report, never to engage...but if it means saving her sister and kingdom, Kali may have no choice.

TRACING SHADOWS, by Amazon bestselling author Alex Lidell, is the first novel in the Scout series. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas.

“Don’t you look handsome?” Leaf adjusts the collar of my new royal guard uniform and runs her fingers over the trim marking me a trainee. Standing in the middle of Lady Lianna’s plush suite a few hours after my meeting with the king, I look like a dressed-up doll. At the far corner of the room, the lit fireplace crackles companionably. It’s warmer in Delta than it was at the estate, and the small flame heats the two-room suite easily, while the baskets of tulips that the servants brought in fill the air with a delicate perfume. “Kal is all grown up and off to training at the keep.”

I step back and scowl. “You think this is funny?”

“You living and training with a herd of boys? Not at all.” Leaf’s round hazel eyes strain with the effort of holding back laughter. After the strict distance the scouts kept at the estate, the close living quarters of the keep will take a bit of getting used to. Leaf pulls on her lip thoughtfully. “Do you think they walk about the barracks naked? More to the point, can you be trusted to live amongst real humans without going feral and biting someone?”

I check the straps on my throwing knives and pull my jacket sleeve over them. “Not worried about it. Just focus on keeping up Lady Lianna’s facade while I’m gone. She’s a sickly, frail girl who must rest in her rooms, but for the occasional foray into society.”

“And she studies botany,” Leaf adds.

My head snaps to her. “She what?”

“Studies botany,” Leaf says nonchalantly as she stuffs some fruit into Kal’s sack. “That’s why I am having a few things I can repurpose for my research brought to the room. I’ll instruct you on what Lianna finds.”

“Would this be the end-the-Drought research, the soil-fertility research, the Kali-magic-connection research, or the general furthering of study in the arena of living stones?” I ask innocently.

Leaf frowns. “All of the above. But they’re not nearly as distinct as you make it sound.”

“Fine. Just make sure there are no wasps taking up residence in Lianna’s plants.” I wave my hand and holster my sword at my waist. I prefer distance weapons, but guards all carry swords. Leaf’s mouth twitches. “Stars, Leaf, what is so amusing?”

“You. Going to a training hall like a little untried boy. I’m imagining their faces when you knock the lot of them on their rears.”