I Love Rooting For The Rebels – Stuck by Samantha Durante @SamanthaDurante

On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Book Tour Launch for Stuck By Samantha Durante
Note from the Author
I am *so* thrilled to be kicking off the Stuck (Stitch Trilogy, Book 3) tour! We’ve got lots of awesome stops planned with exclusive Stitch Trilogy content you won’t find anywhere else, plus a big giveaway to celebrate the arrival of the long-awaited conclusion of the series!
I’d be so honored if you would follow along with Prism Tours and share in the excitement!
In case you’re new to the series, here’s a short (fan-produced!) trailer to whet your appetite:

Hi Sherry! Thank you so much for having me back at Fundimental and for all of your support with the series!  Your enthusiasm for the Stitch Trilogy has meant *so* much to me, and I hope your readers will love it just as much!

1. What made you decide to be a writer?

I don’t know if it was a *decision* so much as a compulsion!  I’ve always loved to write, ever since I was a kid.  I got away from it for a few years in college and afterwards, but even as a software engineer, I managed to“sneak” writing into my job.  So when it came time for a major life change (moving back across the country to be near my family), I knew it was a good time to see if I could shift gears and get back to doing what I’d always loved.

2. Tell us how you choose your covers.

A LOT goes into choosing covers for my books – my cover designer must groan whenever my name pops up in his inbox.  🙂  The Stitch Trilogy has been particularly challenging since it spans the genres of dystopian sci-fi and paranormal romance, and (in Book 1 especially) has some major twists that completely change the direction of the story.  So it was hard to find a design that incorporated all that, plus hinted at major plot points and introduced the characters, and created a theme that would still be relevant for the remaining books in the series.  (In fact, I have a whole guest post devoted to this topic which you can find at another stop on this tour!)  In the end, though, I think we managed it –readers have been very vocal about their love for the covers!

3. How do you choose names for your characters and do you have a favorite?

The names for my characters tend to just “come to me” – I can’t really explain it.  It’s almost like apart of the character and not something I “choose.”  But I do also try to be deliberate about looking up the meanings of the names to make sure they fit who that character is.  I think my favorite would have to be Alessa,the protagonist in the Stitch Trilogy. (In fact, I’ve had loved ones tell me to just stop pretending like it isn’t my favorite and go ahead and give it to one of my children, lol.)  I just think it’s such a pretty name and not very common, so it feels sort of futuristic and appropriate for science fiction.  Also, the meaning is “defender of the people” which I think is pretty fitting for a heroine!

4. If the series were ever made into a movie, who would the actors/actresses be?

Ooohh, this is another one that I could (and, in fact, did) write an entire post about (in another guest post for this tour!).  🙂  My favorites for Alessa and Isaac are Emmy Rossum and Alex Pettyfer, who I chose specifically because they look like those characters (obviously) but they also aren’t household names, so they could really become Alessa and Isaac, if I was ever so lucky to see Stitch on the big screen.  But it’s so hard to pick!!  These characters all originated in my head, so no one is really perfect for the role, and I’m always open to suggestions! Who do you see when you picture these characters??

5. Do you have a favorite author? What are you reading now?

I have several favorite authors, but the one I’ve been most loving in recent years is Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander books.  Her character building is just so, so good; I love all of her main characters and am so invested in everything that happens to them.  I just can’t put those books down, and I wish they would go on forever and ever and ever.  I’m also (like half the population of planet Earth) a HUGE Game of Thrones fan, so I am eagerly awaiting GRRM’s next release!

6. Tell us something personal about yourself.

Even though much of my series revolves around the characters’ grief, I actually did not have much personal experience in that department when I wrote the first two books of the trilogy. And then, shortly after I published Shudder in 2013, I lost my first child, Alana, at birth to a cord accident, just two days before her due date. Needless to say, I have since become intimately acquainted with grief and all of its ravages and quirks.  (And reading back, I’m surprised at how well managed to capture the experience of grief in Books 1 & 2 – I have to chalk that up to reading what had been written about it from other, more talented writers!)  So that enormous loss and learning to live with the absence of one of the people I love most in this world has really changed my perspective as a human being and given me a deeper level of insight into my writing.  My hope is that that really shines through in Book 3 and resonates with readers who have experienced losses of their own.  :’-)

 Thanks for joining us!! Samantha

Stuck
(Stitch Trilogy #3)
By Samantha Durante
YA Dystopian, SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 306 Pages
December 15, 2018

MY REVIEW

I remember when I first saw Stitch, Book I of the Stitch Trilogy by Samantha Durante. I had to have it! I fell in love with the story and the characters and have patiently waited as each book became available, then devoured it.

The Engineers manufactured world is the total opposite of the dystopian world of poverty and desolation the rebels live in. Myself, I love rooting for the underdog and the rebels need my help. Here I come guys.

I love that Alessa and Isaac act together, but what about Joe? I think he will be playing a very important part in the story, I just won’t be able to tell you about it. LOL

“Poor bugger got stuck.”

And the monsters were born!

Extermination, extinction, a virus, the end of the world, a man-made apocalypse, secrets, unlikely allies, and a very special girl.

This is one of those books that gets my motor running into overdrive. The elite feel they are  the be all end all and to hell with everybody else. OMG! I knew the evil bastards would do something, but I didn’t see that coming. Could it be true?

The writing of the trilogy took place over a five year time span. I think it would have been better if I went back and read the series from the beginning and I will be doing that some time. I have a feeling it will change my rating.

That being said, once the previous books began to come to mind, I was able to bring myself up to date. The story became intense and I was happy to add Alex and Deion to my group of friends. I found it easy to get lost in their world, their struggles, their regrets, loss, hope and love. the writing made the story unfold as if I was watching it on the big screen.

As Samantha Durante brings the trilogy to a close, it brought tears to my eyes. I felt happy with the characters endings. BUT, man oh man, Joe…well, I saw that , and Lizzie, oh Lizzie…I can’t tell you any more without ruining it for you.

If you love having your emotions ramped up to a fever pitch, if you love white knuckled reading, if you love apocalyptic/dystopian novels and are looking for an original storyline, you may want to grab the Stitch trilogy.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Stuck by Samantha Durante.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

3, 2, 1… BOOM.

Things are finally looking up for the Resistance. Sure, Alessa is still processing the revelation that the best friend she’d presumed dead is miraculously alive, though far from well… And her boyfriend is being manipulated under threat of blackmail. But her quest for justice against those behind the systematic extermination of the world population is so close to victory she can taste it.

And then in a matter of seconds, everything Alessa believes in is shaken to the core. Months of preparation are obliterated. The people she cares for most are lost.

But Alessa is still standing. And Paragon must pay.

The odds are grim, but unexpected allies surface in the most unlikely of places: A new pair of citizens still under the colony’s rule who notice something amiss in the latest drama. An old adversary who realizes the error of her ways. And a veritable army of inhuman power and terrible strength, with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. The trustworthiness of each of these factions is yet to be proven, but without many other options, Alessa may have to take what she can get. Especially since the Engineers, never to be outdone, also have a few more tricks up their sleeves…

The long-awaited final installment in the riveting Stitch Trilogy, Stuck will have readers gripping their seats as Alessa and a handful of intrepid survivors usher their harrowing journey to a close, risking everything as they endeavor – once and for all – to set things right.

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Tour Schedule

December 10th:
Launch
Andi’s Young Adult Books
Mythical Books
December 11th:
Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
Paulette’s Papers
December 12th:
Wishful Endings
December 13th:
Lisa Loves Literature
Coffee, Books and Cakes
Why Not? Because I Said So!
December 14th:
FUONLYKNEW
Bri’s Book Nook
December 17th:
Colorimetry
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
December 18th:
Lovely Reads
Chapter Break
Words Are the Breath Of Life
December 19th:
Books & Such
Bri’s Book Nook
December 20th:
fundinmental
Coffee, Books and Cakes
December 21st:
Christy’s Cozy Corners
Oh Hey! Books.
December 22nd:
Grand Finale

Other Books in the Series

About the Author

Samantha lives in Westchester County, New York with four of the five loves of her life – her husband, son, younger daughter, and cat – and carries her fifth love, her stillborn daughter, in her heart. An avid reader herself, Samantha’s dream is to bring the same delight to readers that other authors have brought to her life. In addition to penning novels and writing candidly about grief, she is also a sometimes freelance writer/consultant – though more often than not these days she’s on full-time mom duty! A former software engineer, Samantha said goodbye to the corporate world in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and lifelong love of writing. Learn more at www.samanthadurante.com.

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Tour Giveaway

1 First Place Winner will receive: Signed Print Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy, a Limited-Edition Stitch Scarf, Bookmarks, and a $15 Amazon Gift Card – 3 Second Place Winners will receive: eBook Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy for You *and* a Friend, plus a $5 Amazon Gift Card – Open internationally – Ends December 27th

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MY SAMANTHA DURANTE REVIEWS

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