Blog Tour: The Soul Thief By: Majanka Verstraete

  

 

The Soul Thief (The Angel of Death Series #1)

by Majanka Verstraete

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: November 11, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal

~ What's It About? ~

When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death. Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

Goodreads

~ Purchase ~

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble

~ Excerpt ~

THE WORLD EXPLODED IN a chaos of fire, debris, and noise. Sirens screamed and low voices mumbled in the background. I lifted up my head and groaned. My head weighed about a thousand pounds and throbbed as if someone had hit me with a hammer. The interior of the car swayed from left to right. A dark fog rose up in front of the car. Vague specters moved back and forth in the mist. I squinted and the specters turned into paramedics dressed in white clothes with stains all over them, who ran from one patient to another. Four or more cars had collided and mine was the last in line. Two cars burned with tall, flickering flames. A woman crawled out of one of the burning cars, half of her face blackened. My stomach twisted and bile rose up in my throat. I searched for the door handle without turning away from the apocalypse happening in front of me. The woman with the burnt face started screaming. The sound shattered my eardrums. A paramedic rushed toward her and pulled her away from the searing car wreck. My fingers found the door handle and I pushed the car door open. A gush of fresh air entered the car and I took a deep breath. The air filled my lungs, and even though my surroundings still swirled around as if on a carousel, they started to slow down. I fiddled with the lock of my seatbelt, trembling like a leaf. Eventually the lock clicked and I tumbled out of the car. I gripped the door handle so hard my knuckles turned white while I pulled myself up, leaning on the car. “Are you okay?” Someone grabbed my arm and helped me to stand up. My savior was a forty-something woman with a round face, large eyes, and a red flush on her cheeks as if she’d just run a mile. She was tall and chubby, and while she appeared friendly enough, she stared at me wide-eyed, the chaos of burning car wrecks and wounded people reflected in her irises. “I don’t know,” I said. “My head hurts and the world is spinning.” She nodded and helped me to the nearest ambulance. “Sit down.” She waited until I’d sat down and then looked at my injuries. She dabbed a wet cloth on my forehead and when she pulled it back the cloth was stained red. My gaze fixed on the scene unfolding behind her. Two paramedics took turns performing heart massage on a young boy, whose broken body was spread out on the ground. His skin was the color of a bridal gown and his lips had turned a faint blue. He couldn’t be older than eight or nine. Broken glasses lay next to his body. Right when the paramedics switched places, a girl appeared behind them. She popped up out of nowhere. One second there was no trace of her, the next she stood there, as if she’d been there all along. My heart raced in my chest. I wanted to say something but the words got stuck in my throat. The girl’s red hair with black extensions reached to her shoulders. She wore a short checkered skirt, black combat boots, a venom-green tank top, and black stockings. A chain dangled from her skirt. She chewed bubblegum with her mouth open. Everything about her screamed wrong; from the way she’d suddenly appeared to how she carried herself, as if she was strolling around in the park on a summer’s day, not standing at the scene of a gruesome accident in the middle of autumn. Even her clothes didn’t match the weather. She knelt down and put her hand on the chest of the injured boy. For a while, nothing happened. But then a see-through, shiny form rose above the boy’s body. The specter looked exactly like the boy — same age, same height, same clothes, but it shone like a diamond.

~ Character Bios ~

Riley – At age sixteen, Riley has always led a normal life. That is, until she’s stuck in a car crash, meets an Angel of Death and finds out she’s a Halfling Angel herself. Now charged with having to escort the souls of the deceased to the afterlife, finding a way to control her new powers, and somehow survive high school, she has a lot on her plate. She’s brave and supportive of her friends. She loves spending time with them, and with her family, especially her little sister Cassie. She also hangs out a lot at her Grandma’s shop, Herbie’s Herbs. She’s intelligent and has a great sense of humor, but she’s struggling with her new life and what it means to be a Halfling Angel. 

Leander – An immortal Guardian, he’s the Angel set up with the task to help Riley control her new powers. The Council is wary of Halflings ever since an incident with a Halfling named Darius, now over half a millennium ago, so Leander is always watching out for Riley and making sure the Council doesn’t start seeing her as a threat. He’s struggling with his feelings for Seraphyn, an angel he’s been in love with for centuries. He’s loyal and caring, and taking his job very seriously. 

Katie – Katie is one of Riley’s best friends. She’s flirty, spontaneous and outgoing, and has a positive view on life. She’s all about emotions, about doing what you want whenever you want it, and about seizing the day – carpe diem. Whenever a problem presents itself, she faces it head on, without hesitating. 

Michelle – Riley’s other best friend, Michelle is a self-proclaimed geek with a love for Lord of the Rings, video games, studying, and Star Wars. Considering how their personalities clash, it’s remarkable Katie and Michelle get along at all. Michelle would do anything for her friends. She has a logical mind and knows how to stay calm in crisis situations. 

Craig – The fourth member of their best friend cycle, Craig is very intuitive. He knows something is wrong before his friends even mention it to him. He’s always there for his friends, and when you don’t want to get judged, he’s the person to talk to. Sometimes he struggles with being gay – not because he’s confused about that, but because not everyone has accepted that part of him yet. But his friends and parents are okay with it, and he’s thankful because of that. 

Herbie – Riley’s Grandma, Herbie, owns a shop called Herbie’s Herbs. She’s also a witch, and the only one who knew what Riley truly is, but she never told her. Riley loves her Gran, but this betrayal stung a lot and has hurt their relationship. Herbie is always ready t to help though, be it with spells or just pep talks.

~ Soundtrack ~

Angels by Within Temptation 

Going Under by Evanescence

Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) by Kamelot 

Memories by Within Temptation 

The Haunting by Kamelot 

My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne 

Remember by Emilie Autumn 

In The End by Linkin Park 

Little House by The Fray 

Surrounded by Nick Glennie-Smith 

Illuminielle by Jo Blankenburg

 

~ Meet The Author ~

Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library. She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her. She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in. Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tour Schedule

November 12 Write Away Bliss - Schedule / Excerpt The Musings of a Book Addict - Review Suzy Turner, Author - Author Interview The Best Books Ever - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Excerpt

   November 13 Country Book Bumpkin - Review, Soundtrack, Excerpt Reese's Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast Pinky's Favorite Reads - Top Ten, Excerpt 

November 14 Indy Book Fairy - Review, Excerpt Kimber Leigh Writes - Top Ten, Excerpt Here is What I Read - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Soundtrack, Excerpt Writing Belle - Character Bios

November 15 A Book Paradise - Author Interview, Soundtrack, Excerpt Endless Reading - Review, Excerpt The Literary Melting Pot - Review 

November 16 Roxy's Reviews - Review, Character Bios, Top Ten Real Talk, Book Talk - Dreamcast, Excerpt Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast Nerd Girl Official - Excerpt

November 17 Deal Sharing Aunt - Author Interview, Top Ten, Excerpt Star Shadow Blog - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Soundtrack Dystopia Capitol - Review 

November 18 Kristy Centro - Character Bios Whispered Thoughts - Character Bios, Excerpt, Soundtrack Little Hyuts Reviews - Dreamcast 

November 19 Step Into Fiction - Review, Excerpt Behind the Pages - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Excerpt This Redhead Loves Books - Review, Excerpt The Avid Reader - Soundtrack, Character Bios

November 20 Tracy's Nook - Review, Character Interview The Pleasure of Reading - Excerpt Bex n Books - Character Bios Becky's Barmy Book Blog - Top Ten, Excerpt 

November 21 Relaxed Reads - Dreamcast Renee Entress's Blog - Review Books and Friendz - Character Bio, Excerpt Pretty in Fiction - Top Ten, Excerpt Kat's Book Promotions - Dreamcast

a Rafflecopter giveaway