Aberrant (Aberrant #1)
written by Ruth Silver
published by Lazy Day Publishing

find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Goodreads

About the book: In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government’s match in marriage and “The Day of the Chosen”, a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn’t existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she’s arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from “The Day of the Chosen.” The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua’s help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Please enjoy the following excerpt from Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Joshua and I both headed out of the council hall with Jacqueline leading the way. The line of young men had barely dwindled. I avoided their stare, their curiosity as they slowly proceeded forward, giving the attendant their name. I wondered how they knew about me and more importantly what they knew. Jacqueline walked a few feet ahead of us, giving us privacy to talk. I silently thanked her for still respecting us and our wishes. She was probably the only one in Haven who liked us. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or angered by the recent news. I could feel the whispers, like tingles against bare skin as we walked further from council hall and rounded the corner. I was grateful to be out of sight from all those curious stares. “I guess we should consider ourselves lucky,” I remarked. I didn’t feel lucky. I tried to sound upbeat, but everything was quickly falling apart around us.

Joshua scoffed at the idea. “Lucky? I wouldn’t go that far,” he emphasized. “This is how it starts. Eventually, they’ll make it a crime for us to see one another.” He sounded disgusted.

“They sort of already are,” I remarked, trying to understand the council’s decision. “I think they just want to make sure I’m protected.” Though I didn’t quite understand how setting me up to meet multiple bachelors was any form of protection. It seemed as if they only wanted to keep Joshua away from me. The one person I could trust, implicitly. I knew the rules were different because I was different. They didn’t seem particularly bothered by Joshua having a girl in his room. It didn’t seem fair.

“Seems like they don’t really care what we think at all,” Joshua retorted as we headed into our building. “Were you okay last night? I worried when Landon escorted you out of the dormitory.”

I walked slowly up the stairs, Jacqueline just a few feet ahead of us. “Aside from being locked in a room with no windows.” I sighed. “At least they’re giving me freedom from the tech center and a real bed. I should be grateful,” I mocked. I didn’t feel grateful, but I knew his mother at least tried to make it easier for me. As soon as we crested the top stair, I froze in place. The building shook with an alarming intensity as the first drone flew low overhead. The downstairs chandelier swayed and I held onto Joshua’s arm and my eyes widened in terror. “What do you think is going on?” I asked watching the movement grow stronger as vibrations echoed through the dormitory. A nearby painting affixed to the wall crashed to the floor, the glass breaking. I could feel the ground quake beneath my feet as Joshua grabbed my hand, refusing to let go.

“We’re being attacked.” It wasn’t a question. Together, we jogged briskly down the hall toward our rooms. I didn’t know how much time we had. All I knew was the government was here, and they were searching for me!

Every Free Chance Book Reviews is pleased to welcome Ruth Silver, author of Aberrant, to the blog today. She has answered the following questions for all of you.

What was the hardest part of writing Aberrant?

The hardest part was writing the characters suffering. I know that they will get through the pain – physical or emotional – and it will make them stronger, but it’s still hard to torture your favorite character.

Who was your favorite character to write in Aberrant?

I had the most fun with writing Olivia. She’s full of so many mixed emotions and traits that we’re always learning something about who she is. She’s not complacent. She has a mind of her own and likes to explore the world around her. She’s curious by nature and it has the tendency to get her into trouble. She’s complex, which makes her three-dimensional, but also incredibly caring and supportive of those she loves.

Why did you decide on making Aberrant into a series?

I felt like I had a huge story to tell. Something that would span across hundreds of thousands of words. That may not seem like a lot but when sending your novel to agents and publishers, there’s a certain word count they’re looking for in new authors and in young adult/new adult titles. The only way to properly tell the story, was to turn it into a trilogy.

Do you have the second and third book planned already?

Without getting into any specifics, yes! The next book, Moirai, will be available sometime in 2014. The first draft was finished last December but with the edits and some significant changes in Aberrant, I need to make the story flow a little smoother.

Can you tell us about one of these changes in Aberrant? What was added to the story?

Down to the final edits, I was adding details and shaping each character just a little bit more. I wanted the world that they’re in and the cities to feel real. I wanted you to experience it, just as Olivia has for the first time. The very end of the Aberrant, I added a glimpse at what we can expect in the second novel. That was one of the final edits that was added, among many others.

About the author: Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. A Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy,  released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA  novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

Find Ms. Silver here: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

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