Blog Tour and Giveaway: Seneca Element (The Seneca Society #2) by Rayya Deeb

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Seneca Element by Rayya Deeb. This blog tour was organized by Lola's Blog Tours. On my stop, I have an excerpt for you and a guest post as well as the tour wide giveaway! Check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more excerpts, guest posts, interviews, reviews, and more. Enjoy!

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Title: Seneca Element 
Series: The Seneca Society #2
Author: Rayya Deeb
Publisher: Mediology Productions
Publication Date: December 12th 2019
Print Length: 309 pages
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

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If you knew that creating singularity between your mind and machine would open Pandora’s Box would you do it?

Not even teen math-genius, Doro Campbell, could have known what she was getting herself into when she made the choice to get an implant connecting her brain to her computer. But when she finds her own existence at the center of a fight for power that runs deep inside the near-future, secret society that is Seneca, Doro realizes her mind may no longer be under her own jurisdiction.

In this breakneck race to find her dad and save the planet, Doro must choose between trusting her inner self or technology. Amidst the perils of a brutal technological warfare, and navigating the ups and downs of her first love, can Doro find the way to save herself… and the fate of the world?

Goodreads * Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The hour and a half taxi ride along a snaking, precarious road had me feeling woozy, but the incredible journey and anticipation of the destination kept me focused. Jadel did all the talking since he knew where we were headed and I just stared out through the taxi’s dusty window at the serene blue and beige landscape studded with moody stone ruins.

I was becoming accustomed to new horizons and could only imagine what lay ahead, and moreover, what lay beneath. Especially considering this land had been roamed by humans for millennia. It was no secret to me that there was far more going on below the surface than what was happening above. If what Jadel had said was true, it could very well be that our ancestors, thousands of years ago, had prepared us for this very point in time and beyond. My senses aligned with this notion and became increasingly heightened, stomping the cloud of confusion that had consumed my consciousness into a broom closet deep inside the recesses of my mind.

We traveled across a flat valley, passing vista after vista of sublime views. Glacier capped mountains made me feel like a speck of sand along the Pacific. Santa Monica Beach felt so far away. No matter what anyone said, I could not believe that this was a small world that we inhabited. By this point, I had seen a nice slice of the globe and was convinced the saying was totally false. This world of ours was a massive puzzle piece inside infinity’s labyrinth and I had emerged from a tiny little nook inside of it. This was all just the beginning of something spectacular with no end.

We had left the gray skies way behind in our dust and next thing you know the gentlest of baby blue horizons offered us an impressive welcome into the outskirts of a town called Puno.

The taxi driver cut off of the main road onto a straight and narrow but bumpy path. Everything vibrated in the car: Loose change, the knob to unroll the window, a dangling air freshener that was clearly out of scent because all I could smell were rank petroleum and corn chips. Why did all old cars reek of corn chips? Jadel leaned in to whisper in my ear, “We are directly on top of the ancient tunnels that connect the secret underground cities I am going to show you.”

Jadel looked into my eyes to capture my surprise, but he was left hanging. Yes, of course I was in permanent awe with every bit of information I devoured, but my mind had already been blown to pieces back in Virginia. I forced a look of intrigue just to play the game that he was taking me to a place I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Seneca was one million percent beyond my wildest imagination. My knowledge of this secret society that existed beneath the nose of humanity only kept growing into an intricate web too far-reaching for me to fully comprehend. I wanted the whole world to know about it. Maybe together a bunch of people could piece the totality of The Seneca Society together. There had to be a way. It just wasn’t fair. Nothing was fair, and I desperately wanted to change that. It seemed that, for as far back as recorded history went, people had been fighting for equality and justice, and this point in time was no different. But could it be different? Could I play a part in a fair and just future? I had to believe I could, otherwise why keep moving forward? I was no longer capable of finding satisfaction in scheming, gambling money, and hot-hacking flighters. Unveiling the world’s truth, our rightful truth, was my new high.

The taxi came to a stop at the end of the dirt road where we were met by an imposing chain link fence wrapped menacingly with barbed-wire, not unlike those found encircling maximum-security prisons. Only this was in the middle of a small, peaceful valley and there were no buildings in sight.

“Gracias. Buenas tardes,” Jadel said as he handed our driver a bill.

“Gracias,” the driver replied quietly with a dip of his chin and a polite smile to both myself and Jadel.

I smiled back and in a flash I imagined the taxi driver’s life and family. The mother he cared for, his wife working in their textile shop. Their children headed to school each morning. The more I traveled, the more nice people I met and felt connected to. They, just like everyone else on Earth, should have access to all the secret discoveries inside Seneca from the cure for cancer to large-scale cell regeneration.

In seconds the dirt road had disappeared into its surroundings. I turned my face to the sun to soak in its rays, not knowing how long it would be before I felt them again.

Peace out, Sun.

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FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES:

Title: Seneca Rebel

Series: The Seneca Society #1

Publisher: ATM Publishing

Publication Date: June 1st 2016

Print Length: 340 pages

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

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What if your one chance to change the world means you have to leave everything you love behind?

In the not-too-distant future, math genius Doro Campbell is introduced to the Seneca Society: a secretive, technologically-advanced subterranean utopia dedicated to inventing and perfecting the most effective ways to benefit our planet.

But there’s a hitch. Like all that have come before her, Doro is given the ultimatum: Stay in Seneca forever, or leave now with no memory of the place, its goals, and its inhabitants.

She stays.

Her ideals are shattered when, together with biotechnology whiz, Dominic Ambrosia, Doro uncovers profound deceptions beneath the surface of this all too-perfect community.

Will one teenage girl have what it takes to go up against swarms of drones, psychological manipulation and biological attacks, to uncover the truth and change the trajectory of the world?

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rayya Deeb is a Virginia Tech Hokie, born in London, England and raised in Northern Virginia. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two daughters. Rayya has worked in television production and film development, but her true passion is writing. She has spent over a decade screenwriting, collaborating with some seriously incredible, world-renowned directors, actors and top-notch producers. In 2016 her debut novel, Seneca Rebel (ATM Publishing/No Mimes Media), was published. Her latest, Seneca Element (12/12/19 - Mediology/No Mimes Media), is the second book in The Seneca Society series. Rayya loves L.A. street tacos, 90's hip-hop, obscure Alan Watts lectures, exploring the globe, painting, and breaking bread with family & friends. She spends an absurd amount of time thinking about all things culinary, but considers it well worth it.

Series Website * Facebook * Twitter * 

Instagram * Goodreads * Amazon

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GUEST POST:

- Do we rely too much on technology?

Technology is born from the human mind and is part of our collective unfolding. In our lifetime we have seen technology’s presence increasing at an astronomical rate. There is no denying it is as embedded in our everyday reality as much as language or math. On the one end, technology makes possible incredible, life-saving advances in medicine, while on the other end we have a social media-obsessed culture that sees people replacing actual human connection with online communication. We can identify examples and make arguments in any direction, but to me, “Do we rely too much on technology?” really depends on the individual person. Maybe we all need to answer this question for ourselves. This growing web of tech cannot be measured and there is no way to predict exactly where it is headed. Part of the nature of our existence is that we are inextricably entwined with technology. The best we can do is to stay present, informed, and let the choices each one of us makes be rooted in the basic human question of who we truly are and exploring our infinite potentials with all of the tools that we have.

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GIVEAWAY:

This is the tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Seneca Element. These are the prizes you can win:

- ONE winner wins paperbacks of both book one and two, Seneca Rebel & Seneca Element (US Only)

- 10 winners will win e-book versions of Seneca Rebel AND Seneca Element (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway