Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren Blog Tour & Giveaway

December 09, 2013

Mind Trace by Holly McCaghren Blog Tour & Giveaway

Holly McCaghren

What would you do to possess unlimited knowledge and power?

Nineteen year-old Alice McArthur never had a choice. A shy girl from a small town, Alice has gained a reputation for her near-genius programming abilities, even getting the attention of EngineerCorp, a rising electronics empire. With her unique skill-set she is hand-picked to test their network security by hacking into their global mainframe.

But something goes terribly wrong.

The next thing Alice knows, she wakes up on the floor with a migraine, unnatural powers, a server’s worth of data in her head and the realization that this job was not what it seemed.

Now a fugitive from justice and on the run from the evil leader of a corporate empire, Alice doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn. She must find a way to secure her freedom and stop those who would keep her prisoner for life — or worse.

Excerpt:

As she was closing the side cargo compartment on her Ducati, a deep, velvety voice spoke behind her.

"Going somewhere, Alice?"

She spun around so fast that she tripped over the wheel on her bike and fell down onto gravel. As fast as she could manage, she stood up and found herself backed against the opposite sidewall under the carport.

It's him!

Eric stood there, on the edge of the opposite wall. He was dressed in a perfectly fitted, expensive-looking suit, leaning casually against the wall as if he had every right to be there. A smirk teased the corner of his lips, and his eyes glittered menacingly down at her. She quickly glanced around, trying to assess her chances of escape. She didn't see anyone else around, but she had to assume that there were others, currently hiding out of view.

How did this happen? I should have known better. I should have been prepared! What am I going to do? I have to stall him until I figure out a plan.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" she finally managed to ask him.

Eric smiled; a confident look on his face.

"Alice, dear. Let us not feign ignorance. You know very well why I am here. You took something from me, and I want it back. It's really quite simple."

"How could I possibly have anything that you want? I don't even know who you are!"

"Oh, I think you know exactly who I am. That is irrelevant though, because I know for a fact that you gained unlawful access to a large amount of data that did not belong to you. You are going to take a little trip with me, so we can discuss all of this in great detail."

He paused, and then turned his head, glancing behind him, mouth opening as if to speak. She saw four men dressed in black tactical uniforms seemingly materialize, fanning out behind Eric.

You have to be kidding!

Alice looked around, rapidly calculating the best possible route of escape.

Now or never.

Without hesitating, she bolted around the edge of the carport, running as fast as she could in the direction of the forest surrounding the cabin.

Mind Trace Exclusive Excerpt

Alice lurched forward as the plane touched down. It rolled down the runway, taxiing for several minutes before coming to a stop. The door to the cockpit opened and the co-pilot came out again to unlock the exterior door. Alice heard a metallic clanking as stairs were unfolded and met the ground outside.

It was almost pitch-black beyond the open door. The only lights that were visible were those coming from the plane.

Once the door was open, Garrett approached the exit, hovering in the doorway of the plane just long enough to say, "Well, Alice. I just want you to know...it's been nice."

What is he talking about?

The tone of his voice was so unfamiliar, so malicious; her insides felt like ice.

"Garrett? What's going on?"

"Why don't you come out and see for yourself?"

He stood aside and let her pass.

This is no time for games. I would think he realizes that.

She brushed by him and walked out to the top of the stairs. Alice still couldn't understand what he wanted her to see. She saw a glint of metal a short distance from the bottom of the stairs, so she cautiously made her way down to look at it. It was still dark, with only the runway lights dimly illuminated in the distance and the eerie glow of the plane's cabin lights behind her.

Just as she made it to the bottom, a dozen bright lights switched on, glaring cruelly down at her. She shielded her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden, piercing light.

"So good of you to join us, Alice…"

No. That's impossible.

She knew that voice. Alice would never forget it as long as she lived. She had hoped she never would have occasion to hear it again. Yet there it was, all the same. The speaker stepped into the light.

I must be asleep. This is just a cruel nightmare.

Alice was frozen in place. As Eric stepped forward, the rest of the area was lit, revealing a multitude of heavily armed men, vehicles and other effective deterrents for escaping. Their "mysterious destination" was apparently in the middle of the EngineerCorp airport.

Betrayed?

I was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area, and have lived in Texas my whole life! (Gotta love humidity!)

Nothing makes me happier than settling down with a good book, but they aren’t always easy to find! Some of my favorites (in no particular order) include: Jane Eyre, The Blue Sword, Dracula, Ender’s Game, Heir to the Empire, and the Harry Potter series. I love a good scifi/fantasy book, but it certainly isn’t limited to that genre.

My first book was just published via Createspace, called “Mind Trace.” It is a science fiction/adventure novel, appropriate for all ages! It is currently available through Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle), Barnesandnoble.com (paperback), and the Createspace store.

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