Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized starving neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.
Welcome to the October 13th stop on the blog tour for If the Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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About the Book
If the Sun Spares Us
Braving The Light Book Three
by Brenda Marie Smith
Published 1 September 2023
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Thriller
Page Count: 364
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Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.
In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.
Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.
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Excerpt
I am only the essence of my former self. A disembodied mind floating free in the ether, perhaps with my soul attached—if such a thing exists outside my mind. I’d heard for years that our minds are made up of electrical impulses that extend beyond our physical bodies. Now … my mind is still alive even though my body is dead and gone.
I hover near my living loved ones, but they aren’t aware that I’m here. From this perspective, I watched my grandchildren suffer … and … I couldn’t help them…
Most of the time, they bat me away in their sleep as though I were a fly. But sometimes, I feel them unconsciously relax … getting a short rest from the traumatizing world they’ve been living in … since the solar pulse took down civilization.
I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, but I have a strong intuition that it won’t be for long.
Yet I have unfinished business. I can’t leave my family in this condition… not now when they aren’t safe…
My name was Bea Crenshaw. I suppose it still is. Some might call me a ghost, but I prefer to think of myself as a floating, conscious collection of energy. I can’t be seen or heard by living humans, but I still have love to give…
“Nana?” A small voice snaps me out of my reverie. It’s my granddaughter, Mazie.
“Nana, I know you’re here.”
About the Author
BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.
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Giveaway Alert!
The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Oct 2 | Beyond Romance | Oct 3 | Ilovebooksandstuffblog |
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| Oct 5 | Sandra’s Book Club | Oct 6 | Sybrina’s Book Blog |
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| Oct 11 | Candlelight Reading | Oct 12 | Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read |
| Oct 13 | Westveil Publishing | Oct 16 | Joanne Guidoccio |
| Oct 17 | Fabulous and Brunette | Oct 18 | The Avid Reader |
| Oct 19 | Literary Gold | Oct 20 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love |
| Oct 23 | Wendi Zwaduk – Romance to Make Your Heart Race | Oct 23 | Travel the Ages |
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| Oct 26 | Locks, Hooks and Books | Oct 27 | Gina Rae Mitchell |
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Thank you for featuring this book today.
Thanks so much for hosting my book here today. I have to go out soon, but I will be back mid-afternoon, and I would love to chat with your readers. In the meantime, have a great day!
Thanks so much for hosting my book here today. I have to go out for the morning, but I will be back mid-afternoon, and I would love to chat with your readers. In the meantime, have a great day!
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Thanks for the question, Tracie. The amount and type of research depends on the story I plan to tell. I didn’t have to do much research for this book because I had already done it for the first two books in the series, where I had to research solar pulses, polar magnetic shifts, and which crops grow when in Texas. Also had to research some medical issues that different characters ran into throughout the series. The part that most people think I had to research was all the detail about living off the grid. But I actually did that for many years in my life, so in that case my life was my research, lol.
Thanks so very much for such an insightful response and I wish you much success!
You’re most welcome. I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you.
The cover looks good. Sounds really interesting.
Thank you, Marcy. I always have to thank the cover artist, Olivia Hammerman.
Thank you, Marcy. I always have to thank the cover artist.
Looks like a interesting book and I love the cover and excerpt.
Thank you, Sherry. So glad you like it.
Thanks again for hosting my book today. I hope you have a lovely weekend, and I wish you all the best.
Thank you again for hosting my book today. I hope you have a lovely weekend, and I wish you all the best.
This sounds like a really great read.
Thanks, Debbie. I hope you get a chance to read it.