A story of alien plots, ancient prophecy, and unyielding courage. An alien plague. An ancient society. A fight to save the world. When a rare meteor shower unleashes a mind-altering infection, Alex's loved ones begin to change. They're smarter, faster, emotionless, and they have a plan. One that doesn't include her. Pursued by both friends and an unknown enemy, it will take everything Alex has to fulfill her destiny. Desperate to save her little brother, she flees to the mountains surrounding her home, where the only chance for humanity has lain hidden for thousands of years. Guided by cryptic clues left behind by her deceased father, Alex follows a trail of increasingly shocking discoveries. Everything she thought she knew about the past was a lie. And now she's the only one who can save the future. Tara Ellis is an Amazon best-selling author known for heart-pounding storylines in her acclaimed post-apocalyptic thriller series The 6th Extinction, Flashpoint, and The Fallen. WINNER, Reader's Favorite Book Awards, 2015, Honorable Mention, YA sci-fi FINALIST, Young Adult Finalist in the IAN Book Awards, 2015 Infected, The Shiners is book one in the Forgotten Origins Trilogy (Formerly titled Bloodline) "...It ended up being a really fast read, well written,...I enjoyed the mystery, the conflicts, the intricate, and well thought out plot, and the friendship between Alex and Chris. It's young adult, and I would classify it as science fiction, with a hint of a horror vibe. Actually, the more I think about it, it would make for an excellent movie!"- From RabidReads reviewer, Lorna WINNER, Reader's Favorite Book Awards 2015, Honorable Mention YA Scifi WINNER , voted Top 50 Best Indie Books of 2014 FINALIST, Young Adult Finalist in the 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards "...So much of apocolyptic fiction today leaves you with a feeling of helplessness and doom, but "Infected" shines bright with hope. Even if you have to go through some very dark and scary places to get there." - DTChantel, Editor/reviewer Author Tara Ellis lives in a small, rural town in Washington State, set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her two grown kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels (almost)full-time.