Title: The
Nevermore Trilogy
Author: Shannon
Mayer
Release Date: May 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Age Group: Contemporary
Adult
***This trilogy
version contains all THREE installments of The Nevermore
Trilogy. This Series is meant to be read
in sequential order as the books are NOT stand alone.***
SUNDERED
(Book One of The Nevermore Trilogy):
They
were promised weight loss, the cure for Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and
infertility; they were promised hope.
The
side effects were anything but hopeful.
Mara
and Sebastian are young, in love and newlyweds.
Far too soon, they will face tests to their love that most others won’t
survive. Their bond strengthens with each loss, destruction and unbearable race
against time. In each other, they find
the will and hope to endure. Hand in
hand, they will face the darkening of humanity with strength and integrity and
an undeniable spirit to survive; together.
“Sundered is a story that will steal a piece of your heart as you cheer for both Mara and Sebastian in this unconventional love story. It is a story of love, hope, faith and the strength to carry on after the dark times come.” -Reviewer
Excerpt from Sundered:
The
door opened behind me and shut with a soft click. I kept my back turned to
Sebastian, my spine rigid and my breathing slow and deliberate as I tried to
rein my anger in. A whine from the bathroom and I stomped down the hallway and
swung the door open. Nero tried to scamper between my legs but I scooped him up
and held him tight. A minute passed and the anger started to drain out of me.
Taking one last deep breath I carried Nero into the living room. I stared at
the TV and came to a sudden stop, unable to take my eyes off the screen.
Dan
leaned forward. “I’d hoped they’d have gotten it under control in the bigger
cities at least.”
“I
don’t think that’s the case,” I said, my hands trembling as I stroked Nero.
Lists of major cities that had been overrun and were considered uninhabitable
flashed on the screen in no particular order: Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Brisbane, New York, Atlanta, Ottawa, London,
Perth, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Glasgow, Mexico City, Venice, Lima; the list
went on and on, scrolling for a solid two minutes.
“Every
continent has been hit by this catastrophe, though some obviously worse than
others.” The male announcer’s voice blared to life on the screen and I jumped
involuntarily. Nero gave a squeak and I kissed him on the top of his head.
The
camera panned to a reporter in what looked like a bare-bones room, cement
walls, and shelves of strange scientific-looking paraphernalia.
“Dr.
Josephson, what can you tell us about the events? Will the drug wear off? What
can we do about this situation?” the reporter asked, turning to the camera
every few words, as if to gain permission from the viewing audience to ask the
questions.
“It’s
simple, even for a nincompoop like you, Blaine,” Dr. Josephson said.
“It’s
Bruce.”
“Whatever.
The drug was skipped through the FDA testing as well as Health Canada; money
greased the wheels to hurry it to market. In the two months since it’s been
out, it made over 1.6 trillion dollars. You can imagine how that would make a
company eager to get it to the public.”
Bruce
leaned in. “Those numbers can’t be right.”
Dr.
Josephson snorted. “337 million people, give or take a few thousand, get the
shot through legal means. That’s in North America alone. Five thousand dollars
shot, one hundred people a day per clinic. You should do your research before
you go on air Bruno.”
The
doctor sat down on a ratty old stool and looked up into the camera, as if Bruce
were no longer worth speaking to.
“There
is no cure. There is no chance it will go away. It won’t wear off, it is
designed to link permanently to the molecular structure of human bones, organs,
and most importantly, brain. It cannot be transferred by a bite, as the modern
movie culture would have you believe. These are not zombies, these are people
gone feral, wild. They are acting as packs, not unlike a pack of wolves with an
Alpha male and female, and the rest working as a group for food and
protection.” His pale blue eyes seemed to bore into me and I shivered with the
intensity. “To the public who have not taken Nevermore I will say only one
thing,” He paused, dropped his head and shook it slightly before looking back
up into the camera.
“Survive.”
BOUND
(Book Two of The Nevermore Trilogy):
They
were promised weight loss, the cure for Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and
infertility; they were promised hope.
The
side effects were anything but hopeful.
Mara
faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles and adversities as she works
feverishly to free Sebastian from the holds which bind him. Her refusal to
abandon him, and his refusal to let her slip away, keep them fighting to be
reunited. Fears escalate and dangers destroy their beliefs, but they cling
to their love and find strength in each other even when separated. Mara and
Sebastian manage to face each act of violence, each tragedy, and
terrifying sight with a strength which won’t bend to any confrontation.
“Gritty,
violent, tragic and terrifying, this whole series also manages to be touching,
romantic and at times, even sexy…..”
-Jess the Romanceaholic
Excerpt
from Bound:
Though
I’d read a lot of books in preparation for being a mom myself, I’d never
thought I’d be helping someone else give birth. Certainly not in an army camp’s
rifle range. I knew that walking was good, so that was the first objective.
“Sebastian, I need you to help me get her up,” I called to him, while I tucked
myself under one of her arms. Sebastian approached cautiously.
“I
mean it, grab her arm and help me get her up,” I said. He took a deep breath
and helped Momma stand, where she moaned and wobbled, then tried to lie back
down.
“No,
not yet. Walking first,” I said, encouraging her to step out with me. She took
one step, than another and soon we were making our way around the perimeter of
the range, her breathing improving and her face relaxing. A contraction would
hit and she would pause but then keep going. I smiled at her and made soothing
noises, occasionally touching her belly to feel the muscles contract. Sebastian
watched all of this from a distance with a very strange look on his face, one I
couldn’t identify and was too busy to analyze. When the other members of the
pack tried to approach me and Momma he growled at them, letting us have our
space.
We
walked for an hour and I could see that Momma was getting tired. I took her to
the back of the overhang and found a relatively clean, dry spot for her to lie
down.
It
was then that the contractions really started. Her whole body would tense and
the muscles across her stomach would ripple and harden. Momma would sit up, her
hair plastered to her face with sweat as she bore down.
“That’s
it sweetheart. You can do it.” I looked between her legs, the crown of the
baby’s head showing clearly.
I
smiled up at her. “The baby’s almost here, another push.” She leaned forward
and let out a wail as she screamed along with a contraction and pushed. The
baby’s head and shoulder slid free; a second push and I caught the babe and
helped guide it the rest of the way out as Momma collapsed back to the ground,
one more contraction and the placenta came out right after. I used a hair
elastic to tie off the umbilical cord. Hardly sanitary, but it was all I had.
“It’s
a girl!” I shouted and brought the tiny angel child around to show Momma. The
little one let out a wail and I laughed, tears of happiness trickling down my
face. If Momma could have a baby that was so obviously human, could do this in
the wild with no doctor, it gave me hope for us all.
Momma
propped herself up on her elbows and reached for the baby, her eyes wide and
staring. A cold chill swept over me. The baby was definitely human; would Momma
accept her or would she try to eat her? Or was the intensity I saw a look of a
mother wanting to hold her firstborn?
Momma’s
fingertips brushed the baby girl, a look of hunger flashing over her face, a
drive so intense that I knew even her own child wouldn’t be spared. I wanted to
believe that what was human inside Momma would override the animal instinct to
eat another species’ helpless newborn, but as Momma opened her mouth and
snapped at the wailing baby girl, I had to accept this for what it was.
A
complete and utter disaster.
DAUNTLESS
(Book Three of The Nevermore Trilogy):
They
were promised weight loss, the cure for Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and
infertility; they were promised hope.
The
side effects were anything but hopeful.
Surrounded
by the most obstinate of madness, Mara will use the strength within
herself to free both she and Sebastian once and for all. As
Sebastian slips further away from her, Mara will have to fight as she
never has before--alone. The bonds of love and friendship will be stretched to
their breaking point as the world around them spins out of control, and the dangers
continue to mount. Can she carry them both through the obstacles ahead and find
a way to heal Sebastian? Can she accomplish all of this in time?
This
final chapter of The Nevermore Trilogy will leave you breathless, sitting on
the edge of your seat screaming out loud for love to overcome and the goodness
of human nature to prevail.
"I was completely blindsided by events in this story. Even now, I can't stop thinking about it."
Author
of "Until Dawn: Last Light", Jennifer Simas
Excerpt
from Dauntless:
Belief
in that which you cannot see, touch, taste or smell is called faith by some and
foolishness by others. I don’t know which I would say is more painful, to have
faith and trust in an impossibility or to succumb to the reality of the world
and let a dream die.
I
wanted to believe that Sebastian was becoming human once more; I wanted to
believe that the “cure” Donavan forced on him would do what it should and bring
him back to me. But the trembling muscles under my hands and the flickering
eyelids that gave me only brief glimpses into yellowed irises stole what hope I
had. Three days Sebastian had lain on the gurney, his every move monitored—as
was mine.
“I
don’t know why you even bother to stay here,” Lucy said on one of her hourly
checks on us.
“I
can’t leave him, besides, it’s not like I can just walk out of the compound.
I’d be shot, you know that.” I didn’t bother to look up, just sat in my chair
and continued to watch Bastian for any sign of movement other than the muscle
tremors. The scent of antiseptic and sickness hung heavy in the air, clinging
to the back of my throat.
“Listen,”
she paused and took a deep breath; I finally looked up at her. She gave me a
weak smile. “You aren’t safe here. Donavan’s losing his mind and it’s going
faster every day.”
Lucy
bent down to me, her face full of concern. “The rest of us are going to make a
run for it and if you’re still here, you’ll take the brunt of his anger.”
“Why
are you telling me this?” I asked. Lucy was one of Donavan’s supporters; she
believed in him and his work.
The
door creaked and Donavan strode in. “Lucy. Out,” he snapped.
Lucy
left the room, her face pale and her eyes wide. Behind Donavan’s back she
mouthed something to me. I couldn’t be sure, but I think it was Vancouver. My
eyebrows crunched up. Why would she mouth the name of a city to me?
“I
see Sebastian is still unconscious,” Donavan said.
“Well
done Captain Obvious,” I said. “Perhaps you’d like to point out that I’m
awake?”
Donavan
stared at me, his eyes empty of emotion. That blank expression was almost worse
than if he had gotten angry. I swallowed hard but refused to lower my eyes.
“Sebastian
doesn’t seem to be improving. It looks as if I will be back to the drawing
board tomorrow.” He flicked his finger against Sebastian’s cheek. “By tonight
I’ll have to have him removed,” Donavan said.
“What
do you mean remove him? He’s sick, it’s your fault. You can’t move him right
now,” I said, standing up and putting myself between Donavan and Bastian.
“I
didn’t say I’d move him somewhere else. I said I’d have him removed. Those are
two very different statements,” Donavan said.
My
skin twitched over my back as what Donavan was saying sunk in. He didn’t
believe that Sebastian was improving. I struggled for my next breath of air as
the muscles in my body constricted, my hope shriveling up. Where would that
leave him—a vegetable? Or would he just go back to being a Nevermore? If I had
to choose, I’d take him being a Nevermore, but it wouldn’t be my choice.
Sebastian gave a shudder, his body trembling with the “cure” that coursed
through his veins. I placed my hand over his, gripping his fingers.
The
rest of Donavan’s words sunk into my mind. Donavan had every intention of
having Sebastian removed tonight. Killed. Eliminated.
No,
I couldn’t let that happen.
Book Trailer
Shannon Mayer lives in
the southwestern tip of Canada with her husband, dog, cats, horse, and cows.
When not writing she spends her time staring at immense amounts of rain,
herding old people (similar to herding cats) and attempting to stay out of
trouble. Especially that last is difficult for her.
She is the author of
the The Nevermore Trilogy, The Rylee Adamson Novels and the Celtic Legacy
series. Her first New Adult Romance, High Risk Love, is scheduled for release
July 1, 2013.
Author social media links:
goodreads
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available. Open International.
Hi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteThis is Lysa, Shannon Mayer's Assistant. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for being a part of the Promotional Blitz for Shannons Romantic Suspense, "The Nevermore Trilogy".
I also decided to offer those of you who participated in the blitz, a free Kindle copy of Sundered (Book One of The Nevermore Trilogy) in exchange for a review.
If you're interested, we'd love to hear what you think! Please email me your Kindle email address (the one that ends with @kindle.com) at lysa@pegasus-designs.com so I can send the ARC direct to your device! Also make sure to add my email address to your accepted email list under personal document settings in your amazon account.
Thanks again for participating and I hope you'll want to read Sundered!
Lysa