Bisi Leyton and the Wisteria Series

Hello, and welcome to Bisi Leyton's blog tour. Bisi is the author of The Wisteria Series. Today she's going to share a bit from books one and two. She's giving away a $15 Amazon gift certificate to one random commenter, so follow the tour and comment often. You can find her schedule at

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/11/virtual-tour-wisteria-series-by-bisi.html

1.Bisi, Can you tell us five things about you that nobody would ever guess?

First, growing up, we had over six dogs at one point.

Second, I play the guitar and piano very badly

Third, I used to be able to speak French

Fourth, I've also written a historical romance set in 1950s (although it's about a teenager, it's a little too dark for YA).

Fifth, I still watch cartoons (Powerpuff Girls, Ben Ten Alien Force and Thundercats) and don't plan to quit any time soon.

2.Super answers! What do you think makes a book a page turner?

An exciting plot, sympathetic characters who aren't idiots. Plus lots of romantic conflict.

3.We have something in common. I hate idiotic characters too. Which genre of books appeals least to you? Why?

I love romance. I suppose it is the story of a woman search for someone who will stand by her and for her. I hate to say it, but I do have a thing for bad boys (not jerks who treat people badly, but guys who are tortured).

But my least favorite genre are action and spy novels. I just find them extremely boring.

4.On the average, how long does it take you to write a book.

It takes me Eight weeks to write a book and another eight weeks to get it edited.

Authors know a lot about editing, don't we? Most people don't realize how long that takes. Readers, let's let Bisi share some blurbs and excerpts with us.

BLURB for Wisteria:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

BLURB for Myopia:

Sixteen-year-old Wisteria has embraced her deep bond with eighteen-year-old Bach, a member of a supernatural race called the Family, despite the risk of his family finding out. Should Bach’s people discover his bond with a human, Wisteria will be guaranteed a painful and bloody death—but somehow, being together is more important.

Their bond is tested when empirics, an elite group of Family investigators, are sent to the Isle of Smythe under the orders of Bach’s father to find artifacts stolen by the humans. They’re to find the artifacts at any cost. Among the empirics is Bach’s old friend, the stunning Alba, who has learned about Bach and Wisteria’s secret relationship, and surprisingly accepts this. With no one else in the Family to turn to, she becomes Bach’s ally and confidant, but possibly more.

As the empirics start to take over the town, Wisteria is torn between trusting Bach and the safety of the humans on Smythe. She soon realizes that she and Bach are on opposite sides of the war between the Family and Humans, and there is no middle ground. One of them must choose a side.

Excerpt from Wisteria:

Thirteen months after the first official case of Nero Disease

“Wisteria, run!” Rebecca O’Leary screamed over the radio.

Wisteria Kuti whipped around and came face-to-face with the blood-red eyes of a hungry flesh-eating biter. The biter was a man, infected by Nero Disease, who had long lost his mind. He looked more animal than human and he wanted one thing—to feed on the flesh of uninfected people. The biter growled and staggered toward Wisteria.

She fled down the deserted road to the nearest house. The front door was locked. She kicked at the door, but it didn’t open. Taking out her handgun, she smashed through the window of the door.

“Ugh,”more biters growled behind her.

She spun around, fired once, and hit one in the head. She unlocked the door by reaching in and turning the lock. Once inside, she chained and bolted the door.

Crash—a biter smashed through another window into the house.

Wisteria’s heart jumped and she darted up the stairs as fast as she could.

“Get out of the house, Wisteria!” Rebecca radioed.

I’m trying.

A biter grabbed her ankle as she ran. Falling hard on the steps, she wailed in pain. “Ah.” No time to cry, Wisteria. She fired at the biter holding her. One bullet left.

Three more biters appeared below and started coming up the stairs. Leaping up, she sprinted to the top floor and dashed into the first open doorway that led to the master bedroom. Locking the door, she headed straight for the window.

The infected clawed at the door, tearing it apart and snarling as they entered.

Excerpt from Myopia

Three years and three months after Nero

“You’ve got to be joking!”Sixteen-year-old Wisteria Kuti glared at about forty teenagers and a handful of preteens dancing wildly in the once deserted pub.

From the smell and heat, the partiers had been burning up the dance floor for hours. The music of the Law Abiding Citizens thumped through the restaurant, and she spotted an mp3 player hooked to large speakers propped on the bar.

Wisteria couldn’t believe they were having a party on Norton. Her stepfather, Major Elliot Coles, the head of security, would literally murder someone if he discovered that forty of the kids from the heavily fortified Isle of Smythe had snuck out onto the mainland.

“You’ve got to admit they’re having fun.” Garfield Simon, her best friend, was standing next to her while adjusting the strap of his crossbow. His long curly hair bounced as he nodded to the music. “Everyone’s okay and seems happy.”

After four years of living in fear of biters and being locked behind the walls of the Isle of Smythe, she could see why the kids wanted a night of freedom and reckless abandon. Even she wanted one, but it wasn’t safe.

With eighty percent of the world’s population crazy, flesh eating biters, being outside wasn’t just a bad idea, it was deadly. The only thing biters wanted was to feed and the only things they ate were uninfected people. And people who didn’t get eaten most likely ended up becoming infected and turning into biters themselves. As a best case scenario, even one biter walking into this pub could result in everyone becoming infected.

“They’ve been having this party how long?” she asked Amanda Weiss, the tall, slender blonde girl who had come with them.

“This is the sixth party.”Amanda’s blue eyes glittered as she tried to laugh it off. “It’s not that big a deal. We’ve always been safe.”

“Six,” Wisteria choked out. “And you knew about this and didn’t say anything?”

“We couldn’t tell you because of your mum and your stepdad,” Amanda explained. “If they found out, they’d stop the party.”

“David’s here and he’s my brother,” Wisteria pointed out, but she knew that was different. David was Amanda’s boyfriend.

“Yeah, but you’re a tracker. David’s not, so you have to tell Coles.” Amanda frowned, knitting her blonde eyebrows together. “Everyone just wanted a few nights out. We’ve been working all summer on farms for the harvest. We just need a break. I mean, I know it’s dumb, but we really thought this town was safe. David said there hasn’t been an infected reported in Norton in forever.”

“David isn’t a tracker or he’d have half a clue,” Garfield remarked.

Garfield also hadn’t been invited to the party, but Wisteria suspected that had more to with him being a rat catcher. Even though most kids on the island ate rats, they were too proud to publically admit that. One way to deny it was steering clear of Garfield.

Wisteria scowled at the boy. It was no secret he hated the notion of Amanda and David being together because he was so in love with Amanda. Garfield had had a crush on her, the prettiest girl on the island, since he first saw her. Sadly for him, Amanda only wanted to be friends.

"Well, I’m glad you told me, Amanda. I know Hailey’s going to make you pay for doing it.” Wisteria was still surprised Amanda had come to her with this.

“So, what do you want to do?”Amanda asked.

“Ahh,” a boy shrieked as he ran past them.

Wisteria jumped.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Wisteriabooks

Current Blog: http://bisileyton.blogspot.com/

Old Blog: http://bisileyton.wordpress.com/

@bisileyton

http://www.goodreads.com/Bisileyton

BookTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TWuWK_bbY&feature=context-cha

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvC9iJckrs4&feature=context-cha

Free Paranoia short story for anyone who signs up on my mailing list (from Smashwords)

Kindle Fire: Currently running a Kindle Fire giveaway on my blog till November 30, 2012

Here’s the rafflecopter link:

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