Blog Tour: MISGUIDED TRUST by Lauren Wagner

 

MISGUIDED TRUST

Lauren Wagner

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GENRE:  Eco Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

Following a catastrophic nuclear war, Sara lives in a town where the government controls every drop of water. Strict rationing tightly regulates residents’ lives, and to fall sick is to be executed. Sara’s life becomes more dangerous and complicated when she first hides and cares for a small boy who has fallen sick, then takes him in when his parents are taken by the authorities.

 

Determined to care for the helpless child while struggling to keep alive the memory of her long-dead best friend, Sara leans on her friend’s older brother, Josh, an employee of the domineering water company that controls the water rationing. But Josh is under suspicion, and the city’s enforcement unit begins to observe their daily activities. Despite knowing that she’d be executed if her actions were known, Sara finds herself deeply and distressingly attracted to the lead investigator, navigating a complicated romance and finding a glimmer of hope in a world long dominated by fear and control.

 

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Excerpt Two:

 

Interfering with water restoration and conservation laws is strictly prohibited.

 

I scrutinize the large mahogany desk positioned before me as I sit in my shrink’s office later that afternoon. The legs curve out into claws with such immaculate details. I can’t help but wonder if the claws are supposed to symbolize each one of her patient’s secret desires to claw away at their skin. It’s morbid, really. It just makes people yearn for it more, long for the inevitable pain that accompanies the fight. Place a sword in a knight’s hand, and he will want to fight. Put a claw in a psychiatrist’s office and make it resemble a razor blade.

 

“Sara? Sara, are you even listening to me?”

 

Dr. Hammid slides her glasses down her nose and glares at me.

 

The black rims make her face look pointy and sharp around the edges.

 

I look up at her without changing the expression on my face. She is an older woman with wrinkles forming around the smile lines on her face. Her short hair makes her look captivating. She is actually brilliant, in small doses. And only brilliant on the days I am willing to listen to her. It’s like eating a piece of chocolate. Tasting one makes you want another, but it leaves you feeling nauseous after a handful.

 

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 What elements are needed to make a good story in this genre and why?

If you’ve ever felt like the world is teetering just a little too close to sci-fi chaos, you’re already in the right mindset to write a good dystopian story. The key ingredients? Start with a society that’s taken a wrong turn — maybe technology has gone too far, the government is a little too controlling, or basic human rights are now part of a subscription plan. You’ll need a main character who doesn’t quite fit in, someone who starts questioning things others accept, not a full-on action hero, just someone tired of the nonsense. Dystopias thrive on strange new “normal” rules that make readers pause, like curfews that make no sense or mandatory emotional check-ins. Add a powerful antagonist who truly believes they’re doing the right thing, and you’ve got some moral tension to work with. And of course, even in the bleakest story, a thread of hope is important — just enough to suggest that change is possible. The best dystopias don’t scream “the end is near!” — they quietly ask, “What if we keep going like this?” and let readers fill in the rest.

 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lauren Wagner’s love for reading started as a young adult after discovering her town’s public library.  After carrying out piles of books at a time, and re-reading them over and over again, she discovered her love for writing. She writes fantasy and science fiction as well as post-it notes about her future stories.

 

She grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago where she presently resides with her husband and two children. She currently teaches upper elementary students to love and obsess over written works of art.

 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LoloWags

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Misguided-Trust-Lauren-Wagner/dp/1962308340

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Lauren Wagner will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.