Welcome to my spot along the Nil Unlocked blog tour, hosted by Macmillan! I enjoyed Nil, and was excited when I found out about this sequel!

Today I’m turning my blog over to Lynne! If you end up on the island of Nil, you have 365 days left to live unless you can get off the island before your time is up. I thought it would be fun to put Lynne in this position. What kinds of things would fly through her head if she knew she only had 365 days left to live? Take it away, Lynne!

This question is one of the coolest ones I’ve ever been asked. What would I do if my days were numbered? I think I like it so much because this question is a HUGE part of the Nil world.

As y’all may know, the teens on Nil have exactly one year, to escape the island–or die. And how they choose to spend their days on the island is a big part of both books. Do they make connections with other teens, risk growing close to someone or falling in love, knowing that they might not have a future together? Do they choose to hope? Do they choose to help one another, or simply fend for themselves? How do they fight the unknown? Do they choose to fight at all? Do they give up? How do they cope every day with the knowledge their clock is winding down?

Those were the questions I toyed with as I wrote both NIL and NIL UNLOCKED. The pressure of time—of dwindling time—adds another layer to each decision the characters make. In NIL UNLOCKED, Rives wrestles with whether to risk his heart again, when his time is short and his responsibilities seem endless. And Skye makes choices that impact everyone’s time clocks, not just her own, ultimately risking Rives’s life in a way she’d never anticipated. The lack of time makes each victory sweeter and each defeat that much more painful.

So how would I spend my life if I knew I only had 365 days to live?

Well, if I was stuck on the island of Nil, I know I’d spend a good chunk of my time foraging for food, running from tigers and other crazy things on Nil, and generally fighting a sense of doom in paradise. I’d like to think I’d stay strong, and help and hope, but I’m certain that at times, it would be HARD. Hard watching people you care about die, hard watching people you care about leave–and live–even as you’re still stuck on the island. Hard to maintain hope as time runs out. But at the same time, hope and faith are a huge part of my life, so I know somehow I wouldn’t give up.

But how would I spend my life here, in this world, if I knew I only had 365 days to live? I should answer that I’d live just like I do now, because you never know when your time is up, right? I mean, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But I think if I KNEW I had only a year to live, I’d really let the small stuff go . . . the stuff that doesn’t matter. Hug more people, stop to appreciate life’s blessings, both big and small. Tell everyone I love that I love them, thank the people who have touched my life, try something new, read ALL THE BOOKS, go to more concerts, hug and kiss and stay up late with my boys as much as I could, eat more cookies, and take a trip to Hawaii with all my boys and super cute husband…because that’s where the idea for the Nil world was born.:)

Now that I write this post, I think I’m going to live a little more like I only have a year left.:) More hugs, books, and cookies, less worrying about the small stuff. More time with the people I care about, and more thanks to those who touched me. Like all the awesome bloggers and readers who’ve made the world of Nil come alive. *GIANT SMOOSH* Thank you!!!

And thank you, Jana, for having me on your blog today!!!! You’re awesome!

xoxo
Lynne

Nil Unlocked by Lynne Matson
Series: Nil #2
Published by: Henry Hold and Co. Books for Young Readers on May 12, 2015
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 432
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On the island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die. Rives is now the undisputed Leader of Nil City, but keeping the City united is tougher than ever.

Raiders have grown bolder, supplies are dwindling, and non-human inhabitants have taken a turn toward the deadly. New arrivals cause rifts within the City, putting the Search system at risk, and calling everything Rives knows into question. Desperate for answers, he teams up with the only other person searching for them: Skye, a new arrival with a mysterious past of her own. Soon the duo find themselves locked in a desperate race to save all the residents of Nil—and possibly destroy the island forever. But at what cost? And who will pay the price?

Can’t wait for your copy of  Nil Unlocked to arrive? Read an excerpt!

Lynne is going on the Fierce Reads tour in May! See if she’s coming to you!
Visit Lynne’s website.
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Giveaway!

The lovely people at Macmillan have given me a hardcover copy of Nil Unlocked to giveaway, along with a paperback copy of Nil! If you’ve been wanting to give these books a try, now’s your chance! This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only.

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