The Island Release Day Blitz (Sneak Peek and Giveaway!)

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?


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The Island Sneak Peek

Theo

  "Yep," he observed, with a smirk on his face. Up close, he was every bit as handsome as I'd seen in pictures. "You definitely got what you deserved. Shouldn't have shot at me."

"You shouldn't have invaded my country."

His eyes widened for a moment and I thought I'd finally done something to wipe that smile off his face. To my supreme annoyance, he tilted his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

"Oh, you are witty," he said, nodding. "And technically right. But it wasn't my decision. I was, as they say, just following orders."

"And I was just following orders when I blew you out of the sky."

"Aren't we at an impasse then?" He seemed to be enjoying this conversation. He looked down at the side of my ship and read the inscription. "Theo, huh? Well, you must be a pretty high ranking pilot then. I hear the Ravens only allow you to put your name on your ship after you've survived plenty of battles."

I moved out of anger, but the pain in my legs came roaring up my body. "Please let me die in peace," I asked, unable to look at him.

"Oh, you aren't going to die today. But it would probably be safer if I pulled you out. I don't like the look of that fuel leak."

He leaned into my small cabin. If I'd had half a mind, I could've snapped his neck, but it was hard enough just to breathe. He found my seat strap and unhooked it, then lifted me out by my arms. I couldn't help but scream.

"Yeow, buddy," he said, stopping. He put one hand over his ear and muttered. "You sure got a girly scream."

"My legs are caught. Just leave me here. I'm as good as dead anyway."

"Naw, then who am I going to talk to while I wait to get picked up?" He sounded like he was waiting for dinner. "C'mon, we can get you out of here. Just take a deep breath. One…two…"

I didn't hear him count to three as he yanked my legs out of the mess and I screamed again, the pain so bad I almost lost consciousness. But, blessedly, it subsided, and the next thing I knew, he was laying me on the ground.

"There, now, Theo of Raven, let's take a look at you," he said, taking my helmet off.

Galian

Theo was a girl.

A pretty girl.

I'd always thought Raven women were more interesting looking than Kylaen women—with their olive skin and black hair, they seemed to draw my attention. And this girl, something about her made my head spin.

Even with her mangled, bloody legs.

They were a sight: dark red staining her gray jumpsuit.

"Thank you, Dr. Maitland," I said, cracking open the bag he'd given me and sliding on the pair of latex gloves.

She murmured something. The amount of blood she'd lost was a real concern, and she was most likely concussed. I would worry about the head injury later; it wouldn't matter much if she died from blood loss.

"What are you doing?" she croaked.

"Pardon the invasion of privacy," I said, flashing her my trademark smile.

I unzipped her jumpsuit and pulled it down, exposing a white bra and underwear and nothing else. Immediately, her skin puckered with goosebumps as I tossed away the soaked dark gray suit.

"Are you still with me, Theo?"

She blinked, but didn't respond.

"Okay, I'm going to examine you now," I said, leaning over her bare legs. I pressed my hands to her hips, and she reacted, swiftly, sitting up so fast she nearly whacked her forehead to mine.

"Get your filthy hands off of me," she hissed, her breath touching my face.

About the Author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit. Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing. Check her out on the below social medias:

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April SST: 4 Reasons Why You Should Read The Island by S. Usher Evans

The Island by S. Usher Evans
Series: The Madion War Trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Page Length: 260 pages
Publication Date: April 26, 2016

About The Island (via Goodreads):

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?

The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath.

1. THE CHARACTERS. I loved Theo and Galian as protagonists! They were very flawed and opinionated at the beginning, but went through a huge transformation throughout the book. While being opinionated obviously isn't a bad thing (it's a great thing!), they started out unable to compromise their ideas of what the enemy is supposed to be like. They were able to overcome so many obstacles, both physical and mental, and I was rooting for them the whole time. It was great seeing them transform as people and become more aware of the world around them.

2. CONNECT-ABILITY/LIFE LESSONS. It's important that what we read teaches us to be good people. Although this trilogy takes place in a fantasy world, we can definitely learn things from The Island. It teaches a lot about the issues that arise from discrimination and ignorance. Although it does not go into a lot of depth about specific customs or cultural differences between the Kylaen and the Raven peoples, the relationship between Theo and Galian and the development of said relationship shows the importance of making a better effort to be more accepting of other cultures and other people. Obviously we shouldn't have to be stuck on a deserted island in order to make such progress in our world today, but a lot of conflicts probably would not occur if we were willing to learn and listen, instead of making false assumptions about people we might not know as well as we think. I guess this lesson is one we should already know, but it seems like a lot of people still discriminate against people simply out of ignorance or past grudges we barely understand. And sometimes we miss out on meeting the most incredible people because we are too afraid to give them a chance.

3. THE ROMANCE. I can guarantee that this one is a slowwww burn. Although they could be awkward at times, Theo and Galian complemented each other really well. At the beginning, they never failed to throw some snarky comments at each other, which I loved. And then when they get together... it actually gets pretty steamy ;) Overall, their relationship was just so wonderful *spins around happily* They started off as enemies, but they gradually warmed up to each other and once they finally realized they love loved each other... *flails spastically* IT WAS TOO CUTE.

4. QUOTABILITY (AKA SNARK AND SWEET NOTHINGS). From hilariously snarky sayings that I can't repeat because of somewhat inappropriate language to sweet nothings, The Island had a variety of quotes I just couldn't help but laugh or smile at. I'm going to share a few quotes I like, just so you can get a taste. Some of them are neither snarky remarks nor sweet nothings, but I adore them all the same:

“She stared back at me with those beautiful dark eyes. In them, I could see the years of abuse, of fear, of living every day as if it were her last. She was Raven by birth, but they'd never loved her the way a country should love its child. They'd put her to work, enslaved her to a fighting force caught in a losing battle."

 This quote ^ is probably one of my favorite quotes from the book. There's just something so emotionally raw and powerful about it.

"'So, Princeling...' 'I'm sorry, what?' He blinked at me. 'Princeling.' The horrified look on his face tugged a smile onto my lips. 'It's what we call you in Rave.'" 

 "'Oh, go to hell,' she hissed at me. 'I'd rather drink my own piss than accept anything from you.'"

And these last two quotes are just a bit of a peek at how sassy Theo is to Galian. And these aren't even the best ones. Some of her comments are absolutely hilarious, but also outlandishly inappropriate, so I didn't want to share them. If you're curious though, I really suggest reading it and finding out for yourself!

The Island (Cover Reveal + Preview!)

Introducing the brand-spankin' new cover for The Island, made by Anita over at Race-Point.com.

About the Book

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.
Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.
When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.
Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?
The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath. Preorder Today for Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover and more!

Preview

Galian

I landed with a soft thump on the sandy beach a little ways from my plane, and immediately dropped to my knees, releasing a loud breath. My hands shook and my heart pounded, but I thanked my lucky stars that I was alive and had practiced parachuting out of my plane a few extra times during my training.

Once my pulse returned to normal, I stood and released myself from the parachute straps, leaving the long trail of lines and white parachute laid out on the beach. I approached the wreckage of my plane. Pieces of it lay in a long trail as it had skidded across the sand. I picked up a metal piece that had a bullet hole in it and then tossed it aside.

Besides the nose and engine being smashed to smithereens, the back of the plane was fine. I cracked open the back hatch and pawed through my emergency supplies. I found everything including the medical bag Dr. Maitland gave me to be intact. Again, I thanked whatever was up there looking out for me. Of all the outcomes that could've happened from the battle, crash-landing on an island with my supplies was better than most.

A burning smell reached my nose, and I stepped back, searching my plane for any sign of fire. Then I noticed the black column of smoke rising up from the treetops.

Despite everything, worry knotted in my chest. What had happened to the other pilot? I hadn't seen another parachute. Was he even still alive? He was my enemy, but still a fellow human being. I couldn't help but hear Dr. Maitland in my ear.

I don't have the luxury of differentiating between Kylaen and Raven patients.

Guilt gnawed at me. I looked down at the medical bag and sighed. Dr. Maitland was right I was a doctor first and a warrior second. Shouldering my bag, I stumbled off the sandy beach onto the firmer forest ground.

The trees were tall and thick and everything around me was green. It was late summer, but there was definitely a chill in the air since I was so far north. I was thankful for my extra layer under my jumpsuit.

I walked into a clearing, covering my nose from the smell. One of the two wings had been shorn off in the crash and was the source of the black smoke. The rest of the plane was mashed and mangled some ways away. I saw the pilot in the cockpit through the shattered glass, and his helmeted head hung motionless. I was sure that he was dead. I couldn't see how anyone could have survived such a crash.

And then he moved.

Theo

I woke slowly, the sound of unfamiliar animals coming to me first, followed by a cold breeze. As I tried to move, pain shot up from every corner of my body. I looked up at the blue sky, barely visible through a thick canopy of trees. I smelled leaking fuel, and wondered if my ship would explode or if I'd bleed to death first.

I relaxed into my seat and prepared for the inevitable. Even if the Raven government sent a search party for me (which they wouldn't), I doubted they'd come in time to save my life. Still, I took some solace in the fact that I killed another son of that mass murdering king.

A noise startled me and I turned my head slowly to find the source.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The stupid princeling was alive and standing in front of my ship.

Fear and anger gripped at me. How was it possible that I was badly injured and he appeared to be walking just fine? I hated that the last thing I was going to see in this world was Prince Galian standing in a clearing, his pale skin flushed and his eyes sparkling with amusement?

I was dying and this guy was laughing at me.

"What's so funny?" I snarled through my helmet.

"Serves you right." He was smirking as if he had something to smirk about.

"For what?"

"Shooting me down. Looks like you're in worse shape than I am, too."

"Go to hell."

He laughed again and hoisted himself up onto the broken nose of my plane. I was in too much pain to fight back, and my gun was nowhere to be found.

"Yep," he observed, with a smirk on his face. Up close, he was every bit as handsome as I'd seen in pictures. "You definitely got what you deserved. Shouldn't have shot at me."

"You shouldn't have invaded my country."

His eyes widened for a moment and I thought I'd finally done something to wipe that smile off his face. To my supreme annoyance, he tilted his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

"Oh, you are witty," he said, nodding. "And technically right. But it wasn't my decision. I was, as they say, just following orders."

"And I was just following orders when I blew your ass out of the sky."

"Aren't we at an impasse then?" He seemed to be enjoying this conversation. He looked down at the side of my ship and read the inscription. "Theo, huh? Well, you must be a pretty high ranking pilot then. I hear the Ravens only allow you to put your name on your ship after you've survived plenty of battles."

I moved out of anger, but the pain in my legs came roaring up my body. "Please let me die in peace," I asked, unable to look at him.

"Oh, you aren't going to die today."

Preorder today for Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover.

About the Author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit. Check her out on the below social medias:  

Or subscribe to her newsletter here.