Ashley's Addictive Book Blog: Captive Blog Tour

Captive A New Life Novel

By Samantha Jacobey

Hosted By Ashley's Addictive Book Promotions

Captive - A New Life Novel… To what lengths would you go to break away from a life filled with pain and suffering?

Tori Farrell has lived a dangerous life. When you grow up with a Motorcycle Gang of Mercenaries and Drug Lords like the Dragons, a normal life is more like a fairy tale. For years, she accepted her dark reality, a world consisting of drugs, sex, violence and murder. In the end, she learned the most valuable lesson: survival.

After years of being ruled by the Dragons, Tori uses her skills of seduction and assassination to free herself from the grasp of the people who vowed they would never let her go. Taken in by the FBI, she fears not everything is what it seems, and soon finds herself lost in a web of lies and deceit. She thought getting away from the Dragons would put her on a path to a new and better life, but now she must face the cold hard truth… there is always a price to be paid.

EXCERPT 1 from CAPTIVE by Samantha Jacobey

Tori was sitting in one of the padded chairs, knees curled to her chest and arms wrapped, when Eli Founder arrived the next morning. She had been sitting for some time, watching the sunrise bring light to the lush green outside her small window.

The Dragons slept and lived outdoors routinely, and she was beginning to feel penned up being indoors for so many days now. "How was the bed?" Eli asked as he took the seat opposite of her. A blank stare was her only response, so he mumbled a simple "Well, you'll get there," and let the subject drop.

Tori lay her left cheek on her knees, watching out into the patio for several minutes. Finally, in a low voice, she inquired, "Why am I here?"

Eli shifted in his seat, wanting to be precise with his words. "You're here for evaluation, and to heal." He drew a deep breath to continue, catching himself before he spoke, and then exhaled slowly in silence.

Tori's head popped up, and she asked again in a more forceful tone, "No, I mean why am Ihere." She added emphasis to the word 'here' by reaching out with her right hand to stab the table with her index finger.

At his surprised look, she continued with the irritation clear in her voice, "I told you the knife was mine. I told you the Dragons got what they deserved. I did it. I killed them. Why am I not in a prison or a cell or something?"

Tori’s story begins with CAPTIVE

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~ SAMANTHA JACOBEY ~

Anyone who knows me could tell you, I am a friendly kind of person, never met a stranger and take up conversations any where at any time. I work hard, and my mind never seems to shut down, as I wake up often in the middle of the night with ideas pouring out and demanding to be dealt with. Of course that means much of my books were written in the middle of the night.

I grew up and still live in the great state of Texas where everything is bigger, where we have warm weather and a central location. I love my state, my town, and my family, which includes my four sons, my significant other, and many friends as well.

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the books that are currently available and hope you will enjoy reading them just as much. And of course, there will be many more stories to come.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of the tour host who have participated in the Captive Blog Tour. Here is a interview done by Samantha Jacobey. Enjoy!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I still am not really what I would call a writer… I am a story teller. I love to share exciting adventures that have meaning and depth, and hope that my readers enjoy them. In a way, I thought that once I had put them in writing, I would be able to let go, and move on to something else, but that is not so. I still find myself dreaming about this girl and going over parts of her story over and over.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I have had this story in my head for about 25 years. It has undergone many changes and versions, and I love to experiment with ‘what if’ and ‘now what?’ The entire story is far larger than what is being published, with many disconnected pieces; who knows if any of them will ever find their way into print. The part that I am sharing is the section that is the foundation, and completes a segment – Tori’s segment. I ‘wrote it’ and put it out there because I felt like it was time to share.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I think that I do. I try to use language that is easy for most readers to understand, with a few 50-cent words thrown in. I also like to keep it fresh, and try not to repeat words or phrases too often, unless it serves a purpose, which means if I am retelling something, readers should be watching for what is different from one telling to the next. Finally, I think there needs to be a fair amount of description in the story, so my characters are grounded and not floating in space, but at the same time it is not overly so, where you get bogged down in the setting and lose interest in the action of the story.

How did you come up with the title?

My series is called A New Life – and that is exactly what is happening in the story. My heroine, Tori Farrell, has lived a very sad and unusual life, but that is only the beginning. The entire series is about her journey to get a ‘new’ one; a normal one more or less. The book titles have changed from my originals, which I still love, but from a marketing standpoint, they do work much better. Each title, old and new, representing what that segment is about, so it’s like the ‘theme’ of the book in a single word… CAPTIVE, BOUND, ENTWINED, EXPOSED, INDELIBLE, INTREPID and AVENGED.

What do you want your readers to get out of your novels?

My series is like that proverbial onion people always talk about… lots of layers. On the surface, you have the drama and what happened to our girl, and what actions she takes along the way. Beneath that, you get into the how and the why of things; what motivates the characters. At the deepest level, you have the human condition and what makes people who and what they are at their foundation. Not everyone will see all of these things, and I am ok with that. For those that do, this is a very rich experience, and it will move you to the core – that’s what I would like for people to get out of it, if they are ready for it.

Is the book mostly fantasy or do you think these situations could actually happen?

On some level, this is most definitely a realistic scenario, and although all of the pieces coming together in this fashion would be a stretch, each component most definitely can, does, and has happened. That being said, I made the entire thing up – there are slivers of truth woven throughout – ideas or stories that I heard about and stripped down to use some portion of, but the work as a whole is pure fantasy.

What book are you reading now?

Right now I am reading the Sage Seed Chronicles, by Holly Barbo. This is a sci-fi series, and is very imaginative; I love them. She builds an entire world, and quite believable at that.

What are your current projects?

The New Life Series is completed, and only waiting for release. Beyond that, I am researching and doing preliminary writing for my dystopian thriller that will be next.

Do you see writing as a career?

I agreed to teach one more year, so my plate is pretty full once again, with outside commitments. After this year, I will be able to dig in more fully and really throw myself into writing full time. I want it to be my career, but it won’t be my only one for a few more months at least.

Who designed the covers?

The covers are all designed by Nicolene Lorette Designs, and I love her work. Books 1 and 2 were published before, and the covers they have now are far and away more attractive.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you. Thank you for your time and support, and for sharing my work with your friends and family – it is very greatly appreciated!!!

Which comes first? The character's story, or, the idea for the novel?

I would have to say, the character came first, and I built her story around her. At least, that’s how A New Life came about. I am not sure on this next one if that is the case, as I have the idea for a situation, and am playing with who all I would find in that world. I have narrowed down a few characters, and am now exploring who they are and what they are about in the context of the story as it unfolds.