Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Stories of the Night by Lauren Smyth, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Stories of the Night
Author: Lauren Smyth
Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: July 1, 2019
Genre: YA Suspense
Alisen, a teenage girl, is routinely awakened by the same terrifying dream.
The nightmare gets more detailed and longer every night, but the terror remains the same. She tries to dismiss it as something she ate, or maybe a book she read, but then she meets Kale.
Kale is having the same nightmares.
Believing there must be a deeper meaning, Alisen and Kale delve into politics and biblical prophecy. Together, they discover that everything in their dreams has a counterpart in real life, which leads them to believe that something terrible is coming. Is there any way avoid this catastrophe and save thousands of lives? Or will their worst dreams come true? They must choose whether to turn to God or to each other to save them from the very end of the world.
Stories of the Night combines political intrigue, biblical prophecy, and military adventure into a suspenseful story that leaves the reader with the choice of where to place their ultimate hope.
EXCERPT
“This verse from the Bible seems to summarize what’s happening, doesn’t it?” the cadet said. “‘Wars and rumors of wars.’ And if we ever needed God, it’s now.”
“Get promoted to chaplain, did you?” sneered an airman. “Preaching to us about the end times?”
Kale hadn’t caught the drift of what the cadet had been saying. Timidly, wishing he had asked Alisen and McKenzie first, he raised his hand.
The cadet called on him. “Yes?”
“I was wondering,” said Kale, “what did you mean about that rumors of wars thing? I mean, I’ve heard that before, but . . . ”
“Well,” said the cadet, “it’s considered to be a sign of the end times. Another thing that many people believe will foretell the end is the disappearance of all people who believe in the one true God. That could happen any time.”
“So, you’re saying—” Kale stopped.
A white light, painful to look at, suddenly enveloped the cadet. Heat burned on Kale’s right shoulder. McKenzie shone brilliantly next to him. Over her shoulder, he could see Sadie, who was also illuminated in the brilliant white light. He turned to look the other way and saw Alisen glowing warmly, her face infinitely beautiful.
He tried to touch her, but she didn’t seem to notice him. She seemed enraptured with something that he couldn’t see. He cried out and fell back out of his seat into the desk behind him, which tipped over and crashed on the floor. The light burned. He tried to cover his face with his hands, but still the light seeped through.
Just as suddenly as the glow had begun, it vanished.
With it vanished the people who had shone so brightly.
The cadets around the room cried out with terror. There began a mass scramble for the door. Everyone ran over top of each other, heedless of protocol, rules, or regulations.
Kale, screaming for Alisen, was run down in the middle of the aisle and trampled on. He couldn’t get up, much less get to the hangar door or try to search for his missing friend. Nobody cared about him enough to stop. They were far too terrified.
He lay on the floor, paralyzed, until everyone else had escaped outside. Then he screamed, a desperate, haunted scream. “Why?” he cried, over and over. “Why would You leave me here? What did I ever do to You?”
And in the midst of his pain and grief he knew that it was his fault, not God’s. He hadn’t believed, and he had been hard on McKenzie and Alisen when they shared their faith. He hadn’t listened, and now he would have to pay the price.
He raised his tear-stained face to the ceiling. “Seven years,” he said, his voice raspy and hoarse. “Seven years of horror and pain and death.”
He tried to stand up, tripped over something, and fell to his knees. Sobs, painful and choking, escaped him rapidly and he could not suppress them. Finally, he knelt with his forehead to the ground and whispered, “God, forgive me for being so stupid. Help me get through this. I know I can’t do it alone. Oh God, please, please help me.” Then he burst into a rain of pitiful and wailing tears.
He had missed his chance. His friends were gone, and he was left alone, to face the seven most horrific years humanity would ever endure.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Smyth is a sixteen-year-old homeschooler with a passion for writing, acting, and music. As the daughter of an Air Force fighter pilot and university professor, she has lived in many places across the United States and Europe, from which she gained her love of travel and foreign languages. She currently lives in Ohio with her parents and her two cats.
CONNECT WITH LAUREN: Website | Instagram | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a signed print copy (US only)
plus (1) additional winner will receive an ebook
Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 8, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 15, 2019. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Print US only. Ebook available internationally.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
splashesofjoy 