Blog Tour: Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz

Release Date: October 10, 2017

Publisher: Philomel

Genre: young adult thriller

Status: Book 1 of the Alex Rider series

Summary:

Alex Rider is back in action! His new mission? Rescue an entire bus filled with children belonging to wealthy families. At stake are not only the lives of each child, but the very future of the terrorist organization known as SCORPIA. Thrilling action and pulse-pounding heroics make the pages fly.

The world's greatest teen spy is back in action in a thrilling new mission: destroy once and for all the terrorist organization SCORPIA. Following the events of Scorpia Rising, Alex relocates to San Francisco as he slowly recovers from the tragic death of his best friend and caregiver, Jack Starbright, at the hands of terrorists working for SCORPIA. With Jack gone, Alex feels lost and alone, but then, out of the blue, he receives a cryptic email--just three words long, but enough to make Alex believe that Jack may be alive. Armed with this shred of hope, Alex boards a flight bound for Egypt and embarks on a dubious quest to track Jack down. Yet SCORPIA knows Alex's weakness. And the question of whether Jack is alive soon takes a backseat to a chilling new terrorist plot--one that will determine the lives of many. From Egypt to France to Wales, from luxury yachts to abandoned coal mines, Alex traverses a minefield of dangers and cryptic clues as he fights to discover the truth. The #1 New York Times bestselling series, perfect for fans of James Bond and Jason Bourne, is back with a vengeance! 

Spy Kit Essentials
(or what every spy should have in their go bag)

Fictional spies everywhere have long fascinated viewers/readers with their fancy gadgets (thanks, Q!). And you can find a list of some of the best of Alex's gadgets at Bookstorm Reads awesome post for this tour. But I'm also super curious about what spies would keep with them in their "go bag", the bag they have when they can't go home, can't check in with their handler. Our spy is stranded with no help... but NOT without resources.

If you're Jason Bourne, you have all this stuff.

So here's a list of some essentials I recommend every spy keep on hand JUST IN CASE. I used several resources to help me compile my list so if you're interested, Adam from Mythbusters has recreated the ENTIRE Bourne burn bag and you can check that out here. I found two non-professional go bag lists here and here. And this AWESOME short film proves that a good spy can win the day no matter what's in their bag.

1. Burner phone. Go to Walmart; get Boost phone. Whether you use it to try to contact someone or use yellow pages to find the nearest cupcake bakery super spy rendezvous is up to you, but a phone is going to give you some options.

Could Liam Neeson have done this scene without a phone? Of course not!

2. Passport. Honestly, it probably needs to be a fake one, but I personally recommend passport > other ID, like a license, so you can travel internationally. And if spy movies are any indication, you don't want to be in a position to give cops license and registration anyway.

3. Money. Obviously.

Don't do this though

4. Protein bars & a water bottle. Because it's easier and cheaper than going to McDonalds when you're on the lam.

4. Hair dye & scissors. Every good spy has to have a radical style change. Bonus: scissors make quite the weapon!

5. Wallet Ninja. I have one of these bad boys, and although I've literally only used it for a bottle opener, if I need a nail opener or a fruit peeler, I'm prepared. Also, this thing is less than $10, AND it can go through airport security.

6. Miscellaneous personal items. The only time I've heard of a go bag mentioning tampons and stuff was in The 5th Wave. So this is a catchall for things like deodorant, a sewing kit, a hair tie (why do people always forget hair ties???), dry shampoo, a small first aid kit, etc. The cool thing here is that there are companies like Pinch Provisions that make ready-made kits like this. I actually have one of these that I won in a book giveaway, and it TOTALLY came in handy just two nights ago when I left my earbuds at work and needed a pair for my walk.

  

Click on pics for links!

The bonus is that when you have random stuff like this, it's all the better for MacGyver-ing your way out of sticky situations!

7. A book! The life of a spy might often be exciting, but if this is my go bag, I need some reading material.


Monday I had the privilege of seeing Anthony in person at the Dallas stop of his Never Say Die tour, and of course I had to take the opportunity to ask what he'd include in his bag. He said he could never pick which gadgets he'd want with him (but he DID talk about loving Bubble 07, an Alex Rider gadget from book 3, Skeleton Key. You can find some of his favorite gadgets in this video!), but he said three things were must-haves and the fourth was a maybe:

1. Fake ID

2. Ticket home

3. His dog

4. Cyanide pill

Purchase Links:

   

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/2: YA Book Nerd – Review

10/4: The Keepers of the Books – Review

10/5: Bookstorm Reads – Favorite Alex Rider Gadgets

10/6: Hello Jenny Reviews – Promo: Photo

Week Two:

10/9: Through the Open Window - Review

10/10: Buttermybooks – Outfit Inspiration from Cover

10/11: The Loud Library Lady – Review

10/12: YA Books Central – Excerpt with giveaway

10/13: Never Too Many to Read – Spotlight on book series

Week Three:

10/16: Ms. Yingling Reads – Review

10/17: Doodle Mom’s Homeschooling Life – Review

10/18: BigScreenBooks – Review

10/19: Mary Had a Little Book Blog – Spy Kit essentials

10/20: Avid Reader – Travel Guide to Egypt

About the Author:

Anthony Horowitz (anthonyhorowitz.com) is a world-renowned screenwriter for film and television, having received multiple awards. And he is, of course, the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider novels, which have spawned a major motion picture and a line of graphic novels. Anthony was also commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate to write two Sherlock Holmes novels, the critically-acclaimed The House of Silk and Moriarty. Most recently he was commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to write the James Bond novel Trigger Mortis, incorporating never-before-published material from 007's creator. Anthony lives with his wife in London, England; they are parents to two grown boys. He will be touring the US for the publication of Never Say Die.

Author Links:

   

Giveaway: 

I have signed copies of Never Say Die and Stormbreaker, the first book in the series, and I'll pick one winner for each book. Open to the US. Entrants must be 13+ with parents' permission. I'll be out of town next week so this giveaway is open until 12 AM CST October 31st. Please enter via Rafflecopter below; winner will be chosen at random, and odds are determined by number of entries. I reserve the right to disqualify any entries that are not in accordance with my giveaway policies as stated in the Review & Site Policies tab at the top of the page. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway