Hope. Dreams. Life... Love: The Defender

The Defender

by Larissa Soehn

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GENRE: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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BLURB:

A woman battling depression and anxiety finds herself trapped in her own life, but when an alien device rips her away from Earth, she is forced to fulfill an impossible role and save the galaxies from destruction.

On Earth, Alexia Harmon is a mother and wife, but in a foreign galaxy, she is so much more. Torn away from her family, Alex is in an epic battle to escape from Gatlin and return to Earth. But little does Alex know, Gatlin is on the verge of destruction. The galaxy faces annihilation; a prophetic doom that was set in motion thousands of years ago.

Alex struggles to stay alive as she fights against an alien government that is trying to kill her, a species of genetically engineered creatures that are hell bent on her destruction, and the demons of her own mind that threaten to overthrow her. Join Alexia Harmon as she works to fulfill her role as THE DEFENDER.

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EXCERPT

His hands drip with thick green blood. His fingers slide around inside the creature’s body, pulling, pushing, prodding. Finally, he finds what he is looking for, and with a sharp pull, he takes out the small object. He stares down at the tiny orb and marvels at it.

This will be the thing that ends them, rendering them powerless. The thought is vicious, but he has no time for kindness. Not now.

Quickly he turns and gently places the soft ball under a microscope. Staring into the lens, and using advanced medical tools, he prods at the centre of the ball, peeling away the outer shell. Inside is a thick, hard stone-like substance. Carefully he pulls it out. Cold radiates from it as if it could snatch all of the heat out of the room.

Careful to not drop or touch the substance, he swivels around and walks past the dead creature while moving to the second table.

Strapped here is a creature of nightmares. A long, lean body that will tower over all that it meets. Pincers adorn each appendage that will cut through anything it desires, and a face to leave the beings of the societies wetting themselves in fear.

He laughs lightly, looking over his creation with manic fondness. Carefully, he inserts the rocky substance into the cavity that has been carved open to receive the powerful object. The creature’s chest rises and falls lightly, supported by the machines that whir next to the table.

Stitching up the creature, he flicks a switch that pumps adrenalin into its massive system. It takes a few seconds, but the creature’s eyes fly open and look around aggressively.

The eyes looking back are human, but everything else is alien. The strongest parts of many species, all stitched together into one beautiful destroyer.

With one wild whoop, the creature activates its newest power, sucking all the heat from the room. The creator shivers and lunges for the control button. As the room starts to frost over and the air freezes, he presses the button, his fingers creaking as they bend against the cold that suddenly engulfs him.

With a violent spasm, the creature jerks madly on the table and is rendered temporarily useless. He smiles grimly. This is it; this will kill them all.

A Word With the Author

1. Did you always want to be an author?

I would love to say yes, but the truth is that being an author never crossed my mind. A year ago I didn’t have time to be an author on top of all my other responsibilities. But in March 2021 I suffered a depressive episode and was forced to take time off work to find my happiness. Part of that meant finding out what truly gave me pleasure—cue creative writing. When I stumbled into creative writing, it felt very natural. Now I can’t imagine my life without creative writing.

2. Tell us about the publication of your first book.

After I typed THE END for the first time, I was over the moon, then came the editing, which slammed me back down to Earth. It took six passes to get the book to where I felt comfortable passing it off to the editors. After that, I hired TellWell Publishing to assist me all the intricacies of publishing. I was very new to the process, so everything seemed daunting. Having a self-publishing company on my side made my first publishing journey a success. Now I have the know-how and the confidence to maybe tackle my next book on my own, with the help of editors, of course!

3. Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

That is a tricky question for me, simply because I can’t possibly pick one. I have read two series that stand apart from the rest: Brent Weeks’ Light Bringer Series and Peirce Brown’s Red Rising Series.

4. What’s the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part of being an author is easily the ability to be creative, and all that comes with that. I love sitting down and feeling the words flow from my mind to my fingers. It’s enchanting to watch a story unfold.

The worst part about being an author is the self-doubt. I constantly struggle with the question, is my book good enough? Will people like it as much as I do? The unknown of people’s reactions is the hardest part.

5. What are you working on now?

In the time that it took me to publish my first book, I have written the last two books of the Gatlin Series, a Romance/Thriller, and now I am working on another stand-alone sci-fi.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Larissa Soehn is a budding new author from the cozy city of Red Deer, Alberta, where she lives with her husband, daughter, two cats and a dog. She started this journey as a recovery method for severe depression. She found that creative writing helped her process her emotions and work through the struggles of depression. As a child, Larissa enjoyed writing and telling stories, a passion that has recently reignited inside of her. Currently she is working to finalize the Gatlin Series, as well as publish a series of children's books to help families discuss the importance of mental health, amongst other social issues facing children today. Larissa is an advocate for mental health and uses her personal experiences to help others work through their struggles. She uses social media platforms to help spread her message and give people permission to speak up and speak out.

CONNECT WITH LARISSA SOEHN

WEBSITE - Larissa Soehn – Author Website

FACEBOOK - Larissa Soehn | Facebook

INSTAGRAM - Larissa Soehn (@larissa_soehn) • Instagram photos and videos

PURCHASE LINKS THE DEFENDER

AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0228866030

AMAZON.CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0228866030

BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-defender-larissa-soehn/1140523152?ean=2940165085475

SMASHWORDS - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1115119

APPLE IBOOKS - https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-defender/id1595487361

The book will be free.

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