Guest Post with Kimberly Derting ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED (her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

Welcome the to the third Tuesday for The Taking by the fantastic Kimberly Derting and HarperTeen.

Tuesdays For The Taking is a fun and interactive activity during the course of this tour. Occurring twelve times, it is a great opportunity to win giveaways and to show support to one of our favorite authors. Check in constantly as TFTT will transpire around the web on various blogs. And who knows, there may be new giveaways affixed to them.

Curious about Kimberly's Conspiracy Theories? You don't need to look far because you can read it right here!

TOP TEN FAVORITE ALIEN CONSPIRACY THEORIES

1. THE ROSWELL CRASH The word “Roswell” alone conjures up images of an alien spaceship crashing, but explanations of what really happened in the New Mexico desert in July 1947 are still unclear. According to official documents, it was a military surveillance balloon. But according to conspiracy theorists, it was a spacecraft that contained alien life forms. Want to spend hours on the internet? Just Google “Roswell Incident”.

2. AREA 51Another conspiracy hotbed, and also in New Mexico (clearly the place to be if you want to encounter aliens!). The most famous military installation of all time, and also not a secret . . . anymore. The only thing we don’t know about this place is whether it’s just an ordinary military base or if they’re conducting nefarious experiments involving alien autopsies.

3. ALIEN REPTILIANS (also know as “Annunaki”) have been here since the dawn of our civilization. Who are they? They’re the ones in charge, of course! According to conspiracy theorists, these reptilian humanoids plan to enslave us all, but first they will rule over us. They are our politicians, corporate giants, beloved heroes, and legends. So what are they waiting for? Your guess is as good as mine . . .

4. HUMAN-ALIEN TREATIES In keeping with the whole “reptilian” thing, there are also several theories about treaties being made between us and the aliens—we give them humans to experiment on and they give us technology. These treaty theories go back to the Nazis, in which Nordic girls were traded for anti gravity technology. (http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/12/secret-space-war-viii-alien-quantum-computing-and-the-end-of-secrecy/)

5. CHURCHILL AND EISENHOWER MEETINGS There are claims that Churchill and General Eisenhower colluded on how best to cover up UFO encounters over Europe. Don’t believe me, check the link—there are drawings and everything. And you can’t argue with drawings.

6. MAJESTIC 12 In the late 70s, documents that were supposedly signed by President Truman surfaced regarding a secret committee of scientists, military leaders, and government officials formed in 1947 to investigate UFO sightings. Theorists speculate that the documents contain information that proves the US Air Force concealed evidence of alien existence (including the crash at Roswell) although the government claims the documents are a hoax. If you were the government, what would you say?

7. PROJECT BLUE BOOK Similar to the claims of the Majestic 12, Project Blue Book was formed to investigate claims of UFO sightings. The difference? This one is officially ON the record. Although by the time the project ended, it had collected 12,618 UFO reports, and concluded that most of them were misidentifications of natural phenomena, like weather, or conventional aircraft. Only a small percentage of UFO reports were classified as unexplained, even after stringent analysis, but names and other personal information of all witnesses have been redacted.

8. THE REAL MEN IN BLACK You’ve seen the movie, but what if the Men In Black were real? And what if, instead of being a government agency in charge of tracking down rogue aliens and threatening UFO witnesses, they were actually aliens themselves? That’s what some people believe . . . hence the reason for the sunglasses. And yes, they probably say stuff like: “I make this look.”

9. THE M-TRIANGLE Located near the Ural Mountains in Russia, this 40-square mile piece of wilderness has been called "Heaven on Earth." The M-Triangle has plenty of UFO sightings and paranormal activity, but people who visit there claim to feel physically and mentally better than when they went in. Some even claim they've had serious illnesses cured just by traveling through the M-Triangle.

10. DEVIL'S HOLE This is probably my favorite. Why, you ask? Because this place plays prominently in my upcoming release THE TAKING. Never heard of Devil’s Hole? Well, I’m not surprised. It’s not exactly well known, but this mysterious “hole” in eastern Washington is said to be a font of alien activity. (I feel a road trip coming on!)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer meets The Fifth Wave in this chilling and explosive new series. The last thing Kyra Agnew remembers is a flash of bright light. She awakes to discover that five whole years have passed. Everyone in her life has moved on—her parents divorced, her boyfriend is in college and dating her best friend—but Kyra's still the sixteen-year-old she was when she vanished. In order to find out the truth, she and her friend Tyler (the only person who seems to understand her since she got back, he also happens to be her ex-boyfriend's brother) the two of them decide to retrace her steps from that fateful night. They discover there are others who have been "taken," just like Kyra. Only, Kyra is the first person to have been returned past the forty-eight-hour taken mark. With a determined, secret government agency after her, Kyra desperately tries to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had . . . but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Praise for THE TAKING

“Kimberly Derting is an amazing writer and a master storyteller. THE TAKING will have you hooked from the very first pages.” ―Richelle Mead, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of VAMPIRE ACADEMY

“Equal parts romance and suspense, THE TAKING is a sexy blend of conspiracy theory and sci–fi.” ―Kami Garcia, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of UNBREAKABLE and co–author of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

“THE TAKING is an action–packed, heart–filled ride. I loved it.” ―Melissa Marr, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of WICKED LOVELY

“Kimberly Derting does it again! THE TAKING is an exciting, fast–paced thriller with an eerie and intriguing paranormal mystery at the heart of it. You’ll want to read it as fast as you can and then DEMAND the next book NOW!” ―Melissa de la Cruz, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of BLUEBLOODS and WITCHES OF EAST END

“With pitch–perfect prose, swoon–worthy romance, and edge–of–your–seat suspense, THE TAKING kept me reading late into the night. This is Derting at her best.” ―Alyson Noël, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE IMMORTALS

“An original and intriguing premise” ―Publishers Weekly

“This series opener provides a promising start that intrigues as well as it entertains.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will be legitimately unable to put the book down. The mystery, romance and action add up to create a roller coaster of a read.” ―Romantic Times Magazine

Praise for THE BODY FINDER “You’ll be drawn in by the love story—and kept up all night by the suspense.” ―Claudia Gray, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Evernight series

“First–time novelist Derting has written a suspenseful mystery and sensual love story that will captivate readers who enjoy authentic high–school settings, snappy dialogue, sweet romance, and heart–stopping drama. A real page–turner, this will have readers checking behind themselves and refusing to go anywhere alone.” ―Booklist

You can purchase The Taking at the following Retailers: