The Defender by Larissa Soehn

Posted: February 2, 2022/By: achristay@aol.com

Please welcome Larissa Soehn author of The Defender

Larissa Soehn will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The Defender

byLarissa Soehn

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GENRE: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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INTERCEPT:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

I was reading the Red Rising series when I got the idea for a new mystery game (my husband and I make escape room games). While I was writing the game, it started to get to long and miraculously turned into a book!

How did you come up with ideas for your books?

I am not a planner. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen in the book until I actually write the words. When I started writing the Gatlin Series, I had very little idea where it was going to go.

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

Mental health is very important to me. I struggle with mental health on a daily basis and I wish there was an easy way out. But I know, like so many others, that it takes time and a lot of work.

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I have written books two and three of the Gatlin Series. That will conclude that series. I have also written a Romance/Suspense and now I am working on another standalone sci-fi. I hope to publish the remaining two Gatlin books as well as the newest sci-fi.

If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

In a sense, I am Alexia Harmon. When I wrote her, I based her off of me. She too struggles with mental health, but overtime she becomes more than her problems and finds ways to become a really strong woman.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your leading roles?

Scarlett Johansson. She has the personality of someone that is both vulnerable, yet strong.

Do you have an all time favorite book?

The Brent Weeks Lightbringer series is pretty high up there for me. I don’t usually re-read books, but these ones were so good that I had to.

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?

My newest project, Until the End, told from three different perspectives, is primarily about a war that is waging between Earth and an alien force. Everyone on Earth has been dragged into this multigenerational war. But when an ancient prophecy is uncovered the direction of the war changes and a new hero emerges.

What is your favorite reality show?

Zumbo’s Just Desserts. I’m not normally into cooking shows, but something about this one just hit the spot. My husband and I watched it exclusively every evening until we were done the season. We absolutely love it.

Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a series.

I never imagine myself have written a series. Even when I wrote the first book, I had no idea that it would be more than one until I wrote the epilogue. Now that I have done it, I couldn’t imagine the story being anything less. It’s epic.

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.

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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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