H.A.L.F. Origins by Natalie Wright Blog Tour and Giveaway!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS (H.A.L.F. #3)
by Natalie Wright
Genre: YA Sci-fi Romance
Release Date: August 24th 2017

Summary:

Alien predators attack Europe. A deadly virus spawns an epidemic. And a clandestine organization conspires to profit from chaos and forge a New World Order.
In this heart-pounding finale of the H.A.L.F. series, Tex, Erika and the rest are in a race against time. In books one and two they fought for their lives. Now they battle to save us all.
Tex and Erika are again fugitives and running for their lives. But when Tex falls gravely ill, a Navajo healer is his only hope for survival. Tex emerges changed in mind and body but with vital information: how to stop the predatory M’Uktah from destroying those he has come to love.
Erika Holt seeks a respite from the threats to her life but hasn't given up. As she and Tex launch a mission to shut down the galactic highway used by the invaders, she grows closer to her troubled human-alien hybrid companion. But what about her on-again, off-again boyfriend Jack?
Jack Wilson, along with his new friend Anna Sturgis, is determined to put an end to the Makers’ schemes for world domination. Complicating matters, the valuable medicine to counter the alien virus has been stolen.
As both alien and human forces line up against them, the destiny of all mankind is hand the hands of these young warriors. And time is running out.

“The latest satisfying addition to the H.A.L.F. series has something for everyone: exciting action scenes; great love stories; fascinating new aliens; and relatable characters fighting to save the world and find their places in it.” ~Alyssa H., Red Adept  

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Add H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath (H.A.L.F. #1) on Goodreads
Add H.A.L.F.: The Makers (H.A.L.F. #2) on Goodreads

Purchase Links:
AMAZON KINDLE (US): http://bit.ly/HALF_ORIGINS
AMAZON KINDLE (UK): http://bit.ly/ORIGINS_UK
AMAZON KINDLE (CA): http://bit.ly/HALF_ORIGINS_CA
AMAZON KINDLE (DE): http://bit.ly/ORIGINS_DE

PAPERBACK:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/H-L-F-Origins-Natalie-Wright/dp/1545371091/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/half-natalie-wright/1126963268?ean=9781545371091
CREATESPACE: http://bit.ly/ORIGINS_CreateSpace

Book Trailer: 


Excerpt:

The Archetypes of H.A.L.F. 

I recently came across an article on Pinterest about character archetypes. When writing the H.A.L.F. series, I didn’t specifically consider my characters regarding their archetypes, but upon reading the post, I realized I’d created characters that fit into quintessential Jungian archetypes.

If you’re not familiar with archetypes, perhaps the simplest way to define an archetype is that it’s a prototype or example of a particular type of person. For example, Harry Potter is an example of the classic fantasy character of the Orphan-meets-Hero.

In the H.A.L.F. series, Erika Holt is the main protagonist. The first paragraph of the first chapter of book one lets us know Erika’s archetype immediately:

“Erika pulled back the throttle and urged her dusty machine to go faster. Her long, dark hair flew behind her, twisting and twirling in the hot wind. It would be ratty by the end of the ride, but knots in her hair were a small price to pay for the feeling of freedom.”

Erika is the Explorer archetype. The core desire of the Explorer is freedom, and the biggest fear is getting trapped. This push-and-pull between desire and fear plays out for Erika in the first chapter of The Deep Beneath (H.A.L.F. 1). As she gets closer to Jack Wilson, her instinct is to push him away. This is a result of her fear that by getting close, she’ll be “trapped” in the same dead-end life her mother had. Her sole goal is just to get away. Erika’s not sure where she’s going, but she’s motivated by her soul’s desire (as dictated by her archetype) to seek freedom.

The character arc for Erika is about whether she will overcome this fear. Will she let anyone in? Or continue to push people away in her quest for what she believes is freedom?

In contrast to Erika, Tex (aka H.A.L.F. 9) is The Lover archetype. Anyone who has read The Deep Beneath may be scratching their head right now and saying, “What? Tex? The Lover?”

Even though Tex is dangerous and often callous about people’s emotions, his core desire is connection, and his biggest fear is isolation. We see Tex often react negatively to Jack, especially when Erika shows Jack affection or admiration. His fear of being alone triggers his anger. The Lover archetype will try to become more and more emotionally and physically attractive to others to stave off their worst fear: being alone. I don’t want to give anything away, but readers will see this play out in the three-book series as Tex undergoes significant internal and external transformation to conform and gain acceptance.

Archetypes aren’t only for protagonists. The antagonists/villains of the H.A.L.F. series are archetypal as well.

Commander Sturgis is the main antagonist of The Deep Beneath and appears in the other two books as well. She’s often ruthless and power hungry, but her archetype is the Caregiver (aka the Parent). Again, readers of the series may shout, “What?!”

I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. The core desire of the Caregiver is to help others. The Caregiver’s greatest fear is selfishness and ingratitude. The Caregiver’s strategy is to do things for others, but her weakness is martyrdom and being exploited.

I don’t want to spoil your fun at discovering this deliciously nasty character, but the three-book series shows the “dark side” of the Caregiver archetype through Commander Sturgis. She’s more “Mommy Dearest” than Mrs. Weasley, but casting her in a twisted version of the Caregiver role created fun contrast in the series.

A powerful conspiracy drives the plot of the H.A.L.F. series and every conspiracy needs someone in the role of the Ruler. The Ruler's motto could be: “Power isn't everything, it’s the only thing.” This slogan fits Sir William Croft to a T. His core desire is control, and his goal is to create a prosperous legacy. He fears losing power, and he hates chaos (unless he can profit from it!). Sir Croft was a fun character to write as I tried to understand the mind of an authoritarian and what made him tick.

As a writer, it’s helpful to understand the core desires and fears of your characters as the tension between the two often inform the direction the character will take. Of course, a well-rounded character is more than just an archetype, and all of the characters in the H.A.L.F. series are combinations of things. But at their core, each fits one of the twelve Jungian archetypes, and their basic desires and fears inform the choices they make.

What is your favorite character archetype? What archetype are you?

About the Author

Natalie writes adventurous fantasy and science fiction for teens and adults including her award-winning H.A.L.F. series and The Akasha Chronicles. Her first novel, Emily’s House, has been read over 2 Million times on Wattpad!

When not writing, reading or questing in Skyrim, Natalie meets readers and appears on writer panels at comic cons and book festivals throughout the western U.S. She and her mascot baby alien traveled over 10,000 miles in the past year!

Natalie lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, teen dauther and two cat overlords.

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Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | BookBub | Instagram | YouTube | Wattpad

GIVEAWAY:



ORIGINS Mega Giveaway:

ORIGINS Launch Mega Giveaway is going on throughout September. Entrants have the chance to win the following:

GRAND PRIZE: 1 Winner will receive the following: $100 Amazon Giftcard + Signed, Hardcover copies of the entire 3-book H.A.L.F. series + branded book swag, including metal bookmarks, complete set of H.A.L.F. Character Trading Cards®, keychain, and buttons + non-branded, retail swag themed to the book. Retail value of this prize is $240+ 

FIRST PRIZE: 1 Winner will receive: $25 Amazon Giftcard + Signed, Paperback copies of the entire 3-book H.A.L.F. series + branded swag (as listed above) + non-branded swag. Retail value of this prize is $75+

10 Runner-Up Prizes: 10 Winners will receive: A gifted copy of Amazon Kindle version of an eBook of the reader’s choice from among Natalie Wright’s published, single-book works (Emily’s House, Emily’s Trial, Emily’s Heart, The Deep Beneath, The Makers, or ORIGINS). Retail value of this prize if between 99¢ to $3.99 (depending on book chosen and price at the time gifted).

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