Well, looks like I’m the last stop on this tour presented by the lovely folks over at Serpentine Books! It’s been a great couple weeks, and today I get to share with you all an excerpt and giveaway for the recently released No Signal, the second installment in Jem Tugwell’s Sci-Fi Thriller series iMe! I have book one loaded up into my e-reader and ready to go, so be expecting a review of that in the near future. Keep scrolling for the schedule, book info and order links, excerpt, and giveaway!
I’d like to send out a huge thank you to Serpentine Books and Jem Tugwell for inviting me to take part in this tour.
The Book
SERIES: iMe (#2)
PUBLISHED: June 4, 2020 by Serpentine Books
PAGES: 336
GENRE: Science Fiction, Thriller
CHECK IT OUT ON
AVAILABLE AT
The Blurb
In a breathtaking follow-up novel to ‘Proximity’, Serge says it’s the ultimate Augmented Reality game. He’s chosen his Ten carefully – the reckless, driven and strong. He tests them. Ten become Four.
DI Clive Lussac wants to fight the system that controls everything, but he’s ill and losing the people closest to him. In the middle of eco-protests, he’s lost four tourists.
As Clive’s world unravels, he and his partners DC Ava Miller and DS Zoe Jordan race to find the tourists and the true reason behind the game. It may already be too late.
A CONTROLLED POPULATION
The UK has embedded technology – iMe.
It knows where you are… all the time. It controls what you eat.
It has eradicated crime and made everyone healthy.
A DEVASTATED WORLD
The world is on the brink.
The Government talks but doesn’t act.
It thinks it’s safe.
TIME FOR CHANGE
Who will ignite it?
Who has the determination to see it through?
What will be sacrificed for the cause?
The Excerpt
Serge pushed the barrel of the gun hard into Antoine’s cheek, forcing his head to turn towards the corner of the room. Towards Antoine’s girls. Towards their fear.
Marie had little Sadie enveloped in her arms as if her will alone could deflect a bullet. Her stare blazed back at him: How could you put us in this danger? Little Sadie’s wide eyes tore a hole straight through him: Yes, Daddy, how?
Antoine’s shoulders slumped in shame. This was all his fault. His fingers were slick on the joystick, his grip not as light and controlled as normal. Today he needed to be better than normal. He needed to be perfect. The pressure from the gun released and he turned back to the screen. He wished he was in another long session on a game where losing a life simply meant starting again and doing better. But this was real.
Saliva flooded his mouth and Antoine swallowed. He tried to shake his head clear of everything except his joystick and the screen in front of him that showed the image from the drone he was piloting.
He couldn’t let his girls pay for his stupid mistakes.
The timer at the bottom of the screen showed one minute to the coastline, and the black waves of the English Channel flashed under the drone as it skimmed only a metre above the water. He nudged the joystick in his right hand to correct for a gust of wind, but his movement was clumsy and the drone almost touched the sea.
Serge stifled a cry and leaned in. His breathing sounded like it had a distant rattle, as if something small was trapped in his lungs and vibrated with each breath. With a sour tobacco cough, Serge controlled his laboured breathing and said, ‘Careful. Don’t cause me more delays.’
Antoine risked shooting another glance towards his girls. Marie was sobbing and kissing Sadie’s head, whispering to comfort her. Each sob scratched a deeper wound. Saving them was everything.
Antoine brought his fingers to his shoulder and wiped his fear onto his shirt. Hand back on the joystick, he repeated the movement to dry his other hand.
His grip was better now – his control more precise. He tried to shrug some of the tension out of his shoulders. At least tonight the sky was clear, and the water was calm. No waves to snatch his drone like last time. No defence drone to shoot him down too soon. No pilot error.
Last chance.
The Author
Jem Tugwell is a crime fiction author with a Crime Writing MA from City University.
NO SIGNAL is the second book in the iMe series and follows his thrilling debut novel PROXIMITY.
Jem is inspired by the fascinating possibilities of technology, AI and the law of unintended consequences. In a past life, Jem had a successful career in technology and investment management, and he lives in Surrey with his wife and dog. He has two great children. Outside of his family and writing, Jem’s loves are snowboarding, old cars and bikes.
WEBSITE: http://www.jemtugwell.com/
The Publisher
WEBSITE: http://www.serpentinebooks.com/
The Giveaway
Serpentine Books is running a Copter competition to give a way 2 signed copies of Proximity!
(UK residents only)
That’s all I got for ya! If you haven’t yet read Proximity, be sure to check that out before diving in to No Signal. Now available in both paperback and ebook formats, go pick it up from your favorite retailer. Thanks so much for stopping by–don’t forget to visit the other tour hosts from the past two weeks!
Happy Reading!
🖤