Presenting The Touchstone Trilogy by Andrea K. Höst

In which we celebrate the publication of beautiful new print editions of three of our very favorite books: The Touchstone Trilogy by Andrea K. Höst!

Beautiful Cover Art by Kirbi Fagan

We Book Smugglers have been busy in 2017–we launched our novella program, another season of short stories, and finished a kickstarter campaign. We also have been hard at work on a project with Andrea K. Höst, for one of our very favorite SFF series–today we are thrilled to share with you our Book Smugglers Publishing editions of Stray, Lab Rat One, and Caszandra.

Behold! The Smugglerific Covers!

About the Books

Stray

Part One of the Touchstone Trilogy

On her last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walked out of exams and into a forest. Surrounded by the wrong sort of trees, and animals never featured in any nature documentary, Cass is only sure of one thing: alone, she will be lucky to survive.

The sprawl of abandoned blockish buildings Cass discovers offers her only more puzzles. Where are the people? What is the intoxicating mist which drifts off the buildings in the moonlight? And why does she feel like she’s being watched?

Increasingly unnerved, Cass is overjoyed at the arrival of the formidable Setari. Whisked to a world as technologically advanced as the first was primitive, where nanotech computers are grown inside people’s skulls, and few have any interest in venturing outside the enormous whitestone cities, Cass finds herself processed as a ‘stray’, a refugee displaced by the gates torn between worlds. Struggling with an unfamiliar language and culture, she must adapt to virtual classrooms, friends who can teleport, and the ingrained attitude that strays are backward and slow.

Can Cass ever find her way home? And after the people of her new world discover her unexpected value, will they be willing to let her leave?

Lab Rat One

Part Two of the Touchstone Trilogy

In the months since Cassandra Devlin walked off Earth onto another planet, she has grappled with everything from making blankets to helping psychics battle the memories of monsters. Not able to find a way home, she has instead gained friends and a purpose. Unfortunately, that purpose brings with it the pressure of being more than a little valuable, and those she has befriended are also her guards, ordered to explore and control her abilities to find out just what it is a touchstone can do.

Test subject was not the career path Cass had been planning.

With no privacy, too-frequent injuries, and the painful knowledge that she must always be an assignment to her Setari companions, Cass can only wish for some semblance of normality and control.

And as her abilities become more and more dangerous, tests and training may be the only thing capable of protecting Cass from herself.

Caszandra

Part Three of the Touchstone Trilogy

Cassandra Devlin doesn’t know what she’s for. But she knows she’s running out of time.

Since Cass was rescued from the abandoned world of Muina, the Aussie teen has proven more than useful to the people of Tare. Expeditions to their home world no longer end in slaughter. The teaching city of Kalasa has been unlocked. After years of searching for answers, they are starting to make progress.

But space is tearing itself apart. Ionoth attack in ever-greater numbers. And “the useful stray” has been injured so many times that the Tarens hesitate to use her for fear of losing her.

With one particular Taren now her most important person, Cass is determined to contribute everything she can – and hopes to find some answers of her own. What is the link between Muina and Earth? Why are the reclusive Nurans so interested in ‘rescuing’ her? And what role in the crisis do the inhuman Cruzatch play?
Can Cass keep herself together long enough to find out?

About the Author

Andrea K Höst was born in Sweden but raised in Australia – mainly in Townsville, Queensland. She now lives in Sydney.

Andrea writes fantasy and science fantasy, and enjoys creating stories set in worlds which slightly skew our social expectations, and most especially give her female characters something more to do than wait for rescue.

Her novel “The Silence of Medair” was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Awards for best fantasy novel, while her novel “And All the Stars” was a finalist for both the 2012 Aurealis Awards and 2012 Cybils Awards.

You can catch the latest news from Andrea at her site: andreakhost.com

About the Artist

Kirbi Fagan is an award-winning, Detroit based cover illustrator who specializes in YA and MG fiction, fantasy and comics. Her illustrations are known for their magic themes, nostalgic mood, bright colors, and powerful characters. She received her bachelor’s degree in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design. Kirbi’s work has been acknowledged by organizations such as Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, ImagineFX, Art Order and the International Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Visit her website www.kirbiillustrations.com

How to Get the Books

All three of the Touchstone paperback books are available now on Amazon!

Stray | Lab Rat One | Caszandra

Add the books on Goodreads: Stray, Lab Rat One, Caszandra.

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the newly repackaged trilogy, we are giving away one set of the paperback books to a lucky winner! This is open internationally, and will run until 1/2/2018! To enter, use the form below–and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway