YA Bound Book Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for: The Occasional Diamond Thief by J.A. McLachlan. This tour will run from May 18th to May 29th. Check out the full blog tour schedule below:
The
Occasional Diamond Thief
Release
Date: 05/15/15
EDGE Publishing
EDGE Publishing
Summary
from Goodreads:
What if you learned your father was a thief? Would you follow
in his footsteps, learn his "trade"? If you were the only one who knew,
would you keep his secret?
When 16-yr-old Kia is training to be a universal translator, she is co-opted into traveling as a translator to Malem. This is the last place in the universe that Kia wants to be—it’s the planet where her father caught the terrible illness that killed him—but it’s also where he got the magnificent diamond that only she knows about. Kia is convinced he stole it, as it is illegal for any off-worlder to possess a Malemese diamond.
Using her skill in languages – and another skill she picked up, the skill of picking locks - Kia unravels the secret of the mysterious gem and learns what she must do to set things right: return the diamond to its original owner.
But how will she find out who that is when no one can know that she, an off-worlder, has a Malemese diamond? Can she trust the new friends she’s made on Malem, especially handsome but mysterious 17-year-old Jumal, to help her? And will she solve the puzzle in time to save Agatha, the last person she would have expected to become her closest friend?
Kia is quirky, with an ironic sense of humor, and a loner. Her sidekick, Agatha, is hopeless in languages and naive to the point of idiocy in Kia's opinion, but possesses the wisdom and compassion Kia needs.
When 16-yr-old Kia is training to be a universal translator, she is co-opted into traveling as a translator to Malem. This is the last place in the universe that Kia wants to be—it’s the planet where her father caught the terrible illness that killed him—but it’s also where he got the magnificent diamond that only she knows about. Kia is convinced he stole it, as it is illegal for any off-worlder to possess a Malemese diamond.
Using her skill in languages – and another skill she picked up, the skill of picking locks - Kia unravels the secret of the mysterious gem and learns what she must do to set things right: return the diamond to its original owner.
But how will she find out who that is when no one can know that she, an off-worlder, has a Malemese diamond? Can she trust the new friends she’s made on Malem, especially handsome but mysterious 17-year-old Jumal, to help her? And will she solve the puzzle in time to save Agatha, the last person she would have expected to become her closest friend?
Kia is quirky, with an ironic sense of humor, and a loner. Her sidekick, Agatha, is hopeless in languages and naive to the point of idiocy in Kia's opinion, but possesses the wisdom and compassion Kia needs.
Buy Links:
EDGE Publishing has a Thank you Gift for anyone who
buys the print version of the book. If they send an email to events@hadespublications.com
with their Amazon receipt, they will receive a copy of a short story that
features Kia.
Praise for The Occasional Diamond Thief by J. A. McLachlan
***
"J. A. McLachlan is a terrific writer -- wry and witty, with a keen eye
for detail. I've been following her work with interest and delight since
2003. In a world where young-adult fiction is booming, The Occasional
Diamond Thief propels McLachlan to the front of the pack." -- Robert J.
Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of FlashForward
"The story is full of humor, danger, fun, and adventure. This is Science
Fiction anyone would love." -- J. Jones, VINE VOICE
"Flawless--The Occasional Diamond Thief was one of those rare stories
where I found myself hanging onto every word. McLachlan delivers a
fast-paced, unpredictable story with perfectly-executed twists.
Descriptions were succinct and epigrammatic with no room for boredom. It
felt so real, it was almost like being in the theater with a surprise
treat at the end. Much like the theater, once the credits have started to
roll and the crowd starts to thin, there was a snippet at the end that you
do not want to miss." -- BittenbyBooks.com
"Loved it! I haven't read a heroine I loved this much since Katniss
Everdeen. McLachlan's Kia is smart, tough and hilarious, and pairing her
with serene, forgiving Agatha left me laughing long after I finished the
story. The settings were vivid, the plot raced along, and the themes kept
me turning pages. McLachlan combines her love of science fiction, ethics
and good, old-fashioned storytelling in The Occasional Diamond Thief, and
the results couldn't be better. I loved every page." -- Amanda Darling,
Screenwriter
"J. A. McLachlan is a remarkable creator of worlds, a remarkable creator
of character, a master of suspense. In short, a remarkable storyteller.
You don’t have to be a young adult to love this book." -- Sheryl Loeffler,
Writer, A Land in the Storytelling Sea
“You don’t talk much,” he says after three streets of silence.
“My name is Kia.”
He lets it go for a beat. “Okay,” he says. “Kia.” He doesn’t look at me but he smiles, as though he thinks I’m funny. I want to tell him, I know four languages, how many do you know? But he’d probably ask if one of them is duck.
We walk for a while without talking. It’s getting dark. The streets are full of shadows. I haven’t been out in the dark since… A door slams across the road. I gasp and jump back.
Jumal clasps my elbow, steadying me. “It’s alright,” he says. “It’s just the wind blowing a door closed.”
I stand there, shaking, catching my breath. He must think I’m an idiot. Again. But he waits beside me quietly, his hand cupping my elbow.
The Malemese never touch anyone in public. I feel his hand through my robe and the sleeve of my jumpsuit, warm and strong. I’ve caught my breath, but I don’t want to move.
“It’ll be summer soon…” We hear a man’s voice and the quiet response of a woman, coming from a side street.
Jumal lets go of my arm. We start walking again. When we reach Prophet’s Lane, he walks me to the door and stops.
I look at him and smile, but I have to look away again, because of the way his lashes look against his skin and how that lock of hair curls on his forehead, never mind his eyes looking straight back into mine…
“Kia,” he says, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I look up at him then, wondering how he knows and how much he knows, and not really comfortable with him knowing anything. But when he smiles I believe him, and I’m not afraid.
for detail. I've been following her work with interest and delight since
2003. In a world where young-adult fiction is booming, The Occasional
Diamond Thief propels McLachlan to the front of the pack." -- Robert J.
Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of FlashForward
"The story is full of humor, danger, fun, and adventure. This is Science
Fiction anyone would love." -- J. Jones, VINE VOICE
"Flawless--The Occasional Diamond Thief was one of those rare stories
where I found myself hanging onto every word. McLachlan delivers a
fast-paced, unpredictable story with perfectly-executed twists.
Descriptions were succinct and epigrammatic with no room for boredom. It
felt so real, it was almost like being in the theater with a surprise
treat at the end. Much like the theater, once the credits have started to
roll and the crowd starts to thin, there was a snippet at the end that you
do not want to miss." -- BittenbyBooks.com
"Loved it! I haven't read a heroine I loved this much since Katniss
Everdeen. McLachlan's Kia is smart, tough and hilarious, and pairing her
with serene, forgiving Agatha left me laughing long after I finished the
story. The settings were vivid, the plot raced along, and the themes kept
me turning pages. McLachlan combines her love of science fiction, ethics
and good, old-fashioned storytelling in The Occasional Diamond Thief, and
the results couldn't be better. I loved every page." -- Amanda Darling,
Screenwriter
"J. A. McLachlan is a remarkable creator of worlds, a remarkable creator
of character, a master of suspense. In short, a remarkable storyteller.
You don’t have to be a young adult to love this book." -- Sheryl Loeffler,
Writer, A Land in the Storytelling Sea
Hello, I’m J. A. McLachlan, the author of
The Occasional Diamond Thief. I’m so pleased to be meeting you, and I’d like to
thank Undercover Book Reviews for having me here today. This blog
tour is part of my online launch of The Occasional Diamond Thief, and I’ll have
something different at each stop – book excerpts, author and character reveals,
vlogs, reviews and blog posts – for you to enjoy. You can find The Occasional
Diamond Thief at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/
And you can find me at: http://www.janeannmclachlan.
And you can find me at: http://www.janeannmclachlan.
Excerpt:
(Kia meets up with Jumal after undergoing
a terrifying ordeal. He still calls her “duck” in jest because the first time
they met he saw her flapping her arms to stay warm.)
Everyone leaves but
Jumal. When I head home, he falls into step with me. “You don’t talk much,” he says after three streets of silence.
“My name is Kia.”
He lets it go for a beat. “Okay,” he says. “Kia.” He doesn’t look at me but he smiles, as though he thinks I’m funny. I want to tell him, I know four languages, how many do you know? But he’d probably ask if one of them is duck.
We walk for a while without talking. It’s getting dark. The streets are full of shadows. I haven’t been out in the dark since… A door slams across the road. I gasp and jump back.
Jumal clasps my elbow, steadying me. “It’s alright,” he says. “It’s just the wind blowing a door closed.”
I stand there, shaking, catching my breath. He must think I’m an idiot. Again. But he waits beside me quietly, his hand cupping my elbow.
The Malemese never touch anyone in public. I feel his hand through my robe and the sleeve of my jumpsuit, warm and strong. I’ve caught my breath, but I don’t want to move.
“It’ll be summer soon…” We hear a man’s voice and the quiet response of a woman, coming from a side street.
Jumal lets go of my arm. We start walking again. When we reach Prophet’s Lane, he walks me to the door and stops.
I look at him and smile, but I have to look away again, because of the way his lashes look against his skin and how that lock of hair curls on his forehead, never mind his eyes looking straight back into mine…
“Kia,” he says, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I look up at him then, wondering how he knows and how much he knows, and not really comfortable with him knowing anything. But when he smiles I believe him, and I’m not afraid.
Check
here for the other places I’ll be from May 18th until May 29th: http://yaboundbooktours.
About
the Author
J. A. McLachlan was born in Toronto, Canada. She is the
author of a short
story collection, CONNECTIONS, and two College textbooks on Professional
Ethics. But speculative fiction is her first love, a genre she has been
reading all her life, and The Occasional Diamond Thief is her second in
that genre, a young adult science fiction novel, published by EDGE Science
Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. After over a decade as a college teacher,
she is happy to work from home as a full-time author now.
story collection, CONNECTIONS, and two College textbooks on Professional
Ethics. But speculative fiction is her first love, a genre she has been
reading all her life, and The Occasional Diamond Thief is her second in
that genre, a young adult science fiction novel, published by EDGE Science
Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. After over a decade as a college teacher,
she is happy to work from home as a full-time author now.
Author Links:
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