Guest Author: Shaunta Grimes

I am excited to welcome author Shaunta Grimes, who is celebrating the release of her latest novel, Viral Nation.

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away a copy of her new novel, c.

_____________________________________________

Meet Clover Donovan

Clover Donovan is a 16-year-old girl. She lives in the Walled City of Reno with her older brother, West. Their father is an executioner and lives away from them. Clover loves the library better than any other place, and when she tests into secondary school she hopes that she’ll be a librarian when she’s done. The Company that runs everything in her world has different plans for her though. She’s autistic and has an extraordinary memory, which means that she can travel through a time portal in the bottom of Lake Tahoe—something very few people can do.

Clover wants order. She wants things to be the way they’ve always been. She wants to go to school and have her brother with her and spend time running with her service bulldog Mango. New things are hard for her. Meeting new people is even harder. What happens when she’s redirected from her orientation at the Waverly-Stead Academy’s orientation to a job that she didn’t even know kids could have throws everything in her life out of whack. She has to learn to adapt, no matter how hard that is for her. She is forced far out of her comfort zone.

I think that readers will identify with the mix of strength and fragility that defines Clover. Her relationship to West, to their father, to her new friend Jude, are all so important to who she is and how she manages the things that happen in the book. She has limitations, but she never lets herself be completely defined by them. I can’t wait for readers to meet Clover!
______________________

Meet Shaunta Grimes!

Shaunta Grimes has worked as a substitute teacher, a newspaper reporter, a drug court counselor, and a vintage clothing seller. No matter which direction she strays, however, she always comes back to storytelling. She lives in Reno with her family, where she writes, teaches, and perpetually studies at the University of Nevada. Viral Nation is her debut traditionally-published novel.

Contact Info
Website: website
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter

Want to purchase Shaunta’s novels?
Viral Nation
Devil You Don’t
Stray Cat Strut
Keeper
March

_____________________________________________

Contest Time!

Thank you Shaunta for taking the time to stop by Literary Escapism!

Shaunta is giving away a copy of her new novel, Viral Nation. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: Would you want to know if something drastic occurs that will alter your own future, while for good or bad? What would you want to learn about your future life? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered.

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until July 31st at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from this snazzy plug-in that I have.