I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the AWAKEN THE DAWN by Ellis
K. Popa Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Ellis K. Popa
Pub. Date: March 1, 2024
Publisher: And Fire Books
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 418
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/AWAKEN-THE-DAWN
An unsuspecting teen discovers a
secret that lures her into the snare of a ruthless crime boss. Can she survive
his twisted game?
When her dad dies during a business
trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their broken relationship.
She's racked with guilt, haunted by strange dreams about the crash that killed
him, and she’d do anything to have him back.
Then a package arrives. It’s from her dad and contains a list of clues — one of
his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, she follows the clues to
Bucharest and meets Maksim, a local with a dark past who offers to help. Kat
doesn't trust him, but when she hits a dead end, she’s left with no other
choice.
As they work together, decoding the clues while trying (unsuccessfully) not to
fall for each other, the scavenger hunt reveals a dangerous secret the dreams
have been pointing to, something Maksim’s old crime ring has been hiding all
along, and Kat has walked into their trap.
Can she beat them to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the
same tragic fate as her dad?
"Ellis
K. Popa (delivers) an amazing story full of mystery, intrigue and
romance." -
John Benedict, Bestselling Author of Adrenaline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"A gripping and unforgettable read that heralds Popa as a rising star
in the genre..." - Elicia Meairs, Netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Get ready for an exhilarating ride that will keep you guessing until the
final, breathtaking conclusion. Perfect for fans of puzzle mysteries like Inheritance
Games and Da Vinci Code and clever crime fiction like
'Sherlock', The Reappearance of Rachel Price, and A
Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Awards & Recognition for Awaken the Dawn: The Awaken Saga, Book
1...
Cascade Awards - 1st Place
Blue Seal Awards- 1st Place
The Selfie Awards UK (London Book Fair) - Shortlist: Top 8
The Wishing Shelf Awards UK - Finalist
Page Turner Awards UK - Finalist
Killer Nashville Readers' Choice Awards - Finalist: Top 6 (All Genres)
Claymore Awards - Finalist: Top 6
Silver Falchion - Top Pick
Writers' League of Texas - Finalist
Badge of Honor - 1st Place (Fiction) / Runner Up (All Genres)
Write to Publish - 2nd Place
Serious Writer's Writer of the Year - Semifinalist
Worldwide praise for Awaken the Dawn...
"Go ahead, go add this to your TBR!"- Books with Cats
(Europe) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This book blew me away. It was thrilling." - Mark M.,
Goodreads (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This is an absolutely delicious book. I both devoured it in one day,
and savoured every word!" - Charlotte, Blue Fairy Bugs Books
(UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The book was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t get enough of it. I
can't wait to see what happens next." - Scarlet Le Clair,
Horror & Romance Author, Editor + Netgalley Reviewer (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Trailer:
Prologue
The wind scraped at my cheeks and whipped my ponytail around. I laced up my
cleats, shivering, and zipped myself into a Lady Knights hoodie. The soccer
field stretched around me. Silence rested on the empty stadium.
I turned away from the goal and jogged up the sideline. My thighs
protested. Cold air hit my lungs and caught fire in my chest. I pushed harder,
commanding myself into focus.
District. Regionals. State. State champs.
A blip of movement drew my attention to the bleachers. I turned, expecting
to see Brandy—but why would she be in the bleachers? We were supposed to be
practicing.
I paused my warm-up, scanning. The announcer’s box fortified the top, and I
could see straight through the large windows. There was nobody in there.
There was nobody anywhere. I was alone.
My pocket vibrated. I pulled out my phone and checked the message.
Hello dear
I blinked. The text was from Dad, but… he never called me dear. He also
never wrote messages shorter than fifty words.
I swiped a reply.
Did you see my text? Need to know when your flight gets
in.
I pressed Send and dropped into a lunge.
The phone vibrated in my hand. The screen brightened.
U can find it dear
I straightened. Dad never abbreviated anything. Ever. He also used perfect
grammar and punctuation in all his text messages. These didn’t have any of
that.
A scuff broke the silence. My attention moved to the stands, then to the
cyclone fence that wrapped around the stadium. Somebody was here. Whoever it
was didn’t want to be seen.
“What are you doing?” The muffled voice came from behind me.
I wheeled around.
Brandy stood there, padded goalie gloves held between her teeth while she
yanked her auburn hair into a ponytail. She was layered up in bulky clothing,
and the gray weather dulled her normally warm freckles.
When she finished, she spat out the gloves. They landed in a heap on the
grass. “You’re looking paler than usual. You’re not sick, are you?”
“N-no, it’s just— Never mind.” I stilled my heart, which pounded at a full
sprint. “Trying to figure out my dad’s itinerary. Almost done.” I held up my
phone.
She shrugged, plunking herself on the grass.
Her neon-pink cleats were tied together and slung over one shoulder. She
pulled the shoes onto her lap and picked at the knot.
I headed for my bag, swiping a reply to Dad.
Have to go. Shooting drills with Bee.
I hesitated, thumb hovering. Dad had been acting weird since Thanksgiving,
and he was acting extra weird now.
Unless I was imagining things. Was I? How could I know for sure?
An idea breathed across my thoughts. It wasn’t the greatest idea, or the
nicest, and it might get me in trouble. But…
I gnawed my bottom lip and added to the message.
Ty’s coming over to help me study. Hope that’s ok.
Ty wasn’t allowed over at night. Not ever, but especially not while Dad was
out of town. If I didn’t get a reply with all caps and threats of being
grounded for life, I’d know something was up.
I held my breath and pressed Send.
“My mom needs the car tonight.”
I pivoted, insides heavy. “Huh?”
“My mom’s covering the overnight at the nursing home.” Brandy flexed her
fingers in the padded gloves. “Can you follow me home and then drop me off at
Dave’s?”
“I… can’t. Have to study. Chemistry midterm.” That part was true. I really
did need to study.
My gaze landed on the phone. No reply from Dad.
“Come on, Kat. We have to study, too.”
“Right. ‘Study.’”
Brandy cocked her hip and used it as a handrest. “Dave and I have pre-cal.”
“Then take the MARTA.”
“You know that station by my house is sketch, and I’ll have to connect by
bus. That’ll suck in this weather. Please, Kat?” She blinked out
puppy-dog eyes. “Pretty please?”
I rubbed my forehead. Dave and his dad lived forty-five minutes away.
Double that with rush hour traffic. I couldn’t afford to lose that much time.
But I also couldn’t let my best friend end up cold, stranded, and stuck at
a sketchy train station.
“Yeah, okay. We won’t have time for sprints or crunches—”
“I’ll do crunches before bed and sprints up and down the staircase.” Her
mouth tipped up. “What’s the deal with chemistry, anyway? You’re not at risk of
getting a B, are you? Or dare I say… a B-minus?” She waggled her eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes and started for my athletic bag.
She angled to cut me off. “Hold up. For real, what’s going on?”
“I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but… Coach Jules got a call.” I fought
a smile. “From Georgia State.”
Brandy’s mouth dropped open wide enough for a small plane to land. “They
called about you?”
“Sort of. They’re sending scouts when the season starts, and they had a lot
of questions about me. They even asked about my academic performance. Coach
Jules thinks they might offer me a full ride.”
“A full-ride scholarship? What?” Brandy squealed and spun me
around.
Georgia State checked off all the boxes. I could live with Dad rent-free,
and I’d be close to Brandy and Dave, who were planning to stay in Atlanta for
community college.
But without that scholarship, my college horizons were bleak. I hadn’t
wanted to jinx myself.
“Okay, okay.” I anchored my feet, bringing us to a stop. “But I have to
practice. Shooting drills every day, even on crap days like this one.”
“Don’t worry, babe. I got you.” Brandy glanced around. “Where’s the ball?”
I tipped my chin toward the goal. My soccer ball rested against the post.
Brandy took off in that direction. I closed the distance to my bag.
I stooped and tugged on the zipper. No more distractions, not from Dad or
anyone else. My phone would go in the bag. I would focus. Everything else would
fall into place. It had to.
District. Regionals. State. State champs. My smile tugged harder. Georgia State.
Scholarship.
The smile faltered. I checked the phone one more time, and my chest
tightened. The message light was off. The screen was still black.
About Ellis K. Popa:
When Ellis
isn't moonlighting as a coffee aficionada, you might find her adventuring
through Transylvania, doing photoshoots in Old Town Bucharest, or otherwise
trying to talk her husband into moving to Eastern Europe. She's a lover of
history with a penchant for World War II and the Cold War, and her favorite
places in the world are Wallachia in beautiful Romania and the Dalmatian Coast
of Croatia. She's also an award-winning writer and budget-minded travel expert.
Sign up for Ellis’s
newsletter!
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a Limited Edition Hardcover of AWAKEN THE DAWN, US Only.
Ends October 22nd, midnight EST.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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10/7/2024 |
Excerpt |
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10/7/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/8/2024 |
IG Post |
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10/8/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/9/2024 |
IG Post/TikTok Post |
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10/9/2024 |
Excerpt |
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10/10/2024 |
Excerpt |
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10/10/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/11/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/11/2024 |
IG Review |
Week Two:
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10/14/2024 |
IG Review |
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10/14/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/15/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/15/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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10/16/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/16/2024 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post |
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10/17/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/17/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/18/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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10/18/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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10/18/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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