My First Breakup by Dhruba D.Roy - Interview - Book Tour

About the Book:

“Oh God, why me?”

This is perhaps what we think of when we go through a ‘breakup’.

This story is about Anirudh and Anvi.

Both of them have their own thinking which are not alike.

The story begins with Anirudh meeting with and accident. As he slowly succumbs to the pain, he starts reflecting about his bygone college days where he found his love for music. He loves Anvi dearly who is a long-lost friend of Anirudh.

The story reveals how Anirudh struggles as the hands of reality strikes him down.

Book Links:

Amazon * Goodreads

Interview:

1.  Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Love them all.

2.  What was the hardest part of writing your book?

There are quite a few things that I found a bit tricky, but the most challenging task was to give the story a proper shape so that it can connect with it’s readers and hopefully I have done justice to it.

3.  Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I have learnt  a lot of things, valuable lessons while writing this book, one of which being genuine enough to portray a story for what it is rather than manipulating it and making it unrealistic. I being the author of this novel, strongly feel that most of us go through this phase of life called a breakup and the emotions described in the book is realistic enough to connect with the readers.

4.  Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

The novel is set to be released on 9th of March 2018. Please wish me luck and if you like to read fiction romance that I am sure you will able to connect to, please do read “My First Breakup……. Learning to Let Go!!!”. Also do review it as it’s your reviews that will help me become a better writer. 

5.  Do you have any advice for budding writers?

I am just a debutant and I might fail miserably at this new venture of mine, but we all fail at some point of our lives. So my advice to you would be “go out there and take the bull by the horns and do not worry about failing”. 

6.  Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Of course. Alright… The story is about a character whose name is Anirudh. The story revolves around this character who falls head over heels in love with a girl in his childhood only to be drifted apart from his girl before high school itself. The protagonist is obsessed with the girl of his dreams and after being separated makes it the motive of his life to win her back in his life. The story then gradually unfolds where both of them do meet again. By this time both of them have entered their adulthood and deeply respect the bond that they had developed over the period of time. Anirudh discovers that he loves music equally and also starts performing at many different gigs with his musical band. But as we all know, nothing lasts the same forever. His world is turned upside down when he had to abandon his musical band and move out of the city. The next sequence of events paves the plot for the climax of the story which is the most gripping part of the story. Let’s just keep that a secret for now:P :P

7.  Which character did you have the most fun writing?

Anvi. I loved writing about her. She is a very sensitive girl and her way of seeing the world was totally different from that of Anirudh’s.

8.  What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product? 

Hehehehe… It felt wonderful. I feel for a writer being recognised as a published author is of a great value that can not be compared to any other thing. Initially I doubted myself if could ever write a book, or I could ever become a published author. But that’s how it is, untill we don’t push ourselves to the limit, we don’t fully realize what actually we are capable of. I would take this opportunity to thank all my friends and family members who had that faith in me even when I felt that I wasn’t that good enough.

About the Author:

Dhruba Das Roy  is a freelance writer, a musician by passion, and a software engineer by profession. He is from Assam, but born in a small town of Meghalaya, where he finished his schooling. He then obtained his degree in engineering from the esteemed college of National Institute of Technology. He discovered his love for music there and was the lead vocalist of his band, “The Rozarts”.

He loves rock and roll and is a great fan of the pioneers of rock and roll-(Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and the list goes on).Unfortunately, as engineering life came to an end, the band had to split. Recently, he moved to Kolkata where he is working in one of leading software service based companies in India.

Not everyone can put their thoughts into words. Dhruba had never tried his hand in writing; but he had an experience, an experience which changed his life for the better. Being a vocalist, his only way of expression was through the creative way. He decided to pen down his thoughts and he discovered that writing came naturally to him. His thought process in the novel relates to the general mass in many ways. He decided to stretch his limits and ended up voicing his thoughts in a different way this time.

What Gifts She Carried by Lindsey R. Loucks - Blog Tour & Giveaway!

What Gifts She Carried

(The Grave Winner #2)

Book Description

Leigh Baxton just wants to pick up the pieces of her life—if you could call it that—but someone keeps resurrecting the dead. These new zombies have a knack for spilling Leigh’s precious blood, something she was warned about by a certain pair of undead sorceresses.

Desperate to find out why they’re here so Leigh can put the nightmares behind her, she must learn more about the gifts she carries. With Tram’s training sessions and clues from her mom’s past, Leigh begins to piece together what she’s capable of.

Too bad there isn’t a Cliff’s Notes version to saving the world.

The zombies have teamed up with followers of the darkest sorceress who ever lived, and they’ll play a wicked game until she’s freed from her prison inside the earth. When the battle to the death begins, Leigh must rely on friends, crushes, and even her enemies to win the war, but not the grave.

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Excerpt

Jo slammed the door behind me, which made me jump a little, then waved. They backed out and rode off, leaving me all alone. Well, almost all alone.

I watched them go for a second, but the shadow above lanced the top of my head like only an angry dad’s stare could. 

The puddles in the cracked pavement rippled with the moon’s reflection, and I hopped over them on my way up the iron staircase. Time to face the music, or in this case really loud shouting. Every step upward vibrated doom, doom, doom. I gave it the middle finger for the friendly reminder and rounded the corner.

As soon as I reached the top step, the shadow unplugged the pen light from his mouth and shined it in my face. I turned my head away from the spots dotting my vision and took my final steps toward him. The green paint on the walls and doors had peeled and crumbled to the walkway like little piles of broken dragon scales. My boots crunched over them. Welcome to Krapper’s finest and friendliest Crumbly Motel.

“Why didn’t you call?” Dad asked in a low voice. He sounded as tired as I felt. And way pissed.

“I’m sorry.” I blocked the light with my hand and tried to look him in the face. “I lost track of time.”

“Were you really working on a school project?”

The truth was loony-bin crazy, and I’d already lied before. Might as well play it up. “Yes, I was. And we finished the pirate project. The pirates have sailed on to loot and pillage their hearts out. I’m really sorry I’m late, Dad.”

He stood, his book tucked under his elbow, the pen light still aimed at my eyes. “Do you have any idea—”

A loud thud came from inside the motel room. Both our heads whipped towards the door. 

My heartbeat skipped. Too many bizarre things had happened. Too many weird sounds would haunt me forever, and this one didn’t feel right at all. I lunged for the doorknob, but it was locked. 

“Darby?” I shouted and pounded on the door.

“Leigh, quiet down. I’ve got the key.” Dad pulled the card from his pocket and stuck it in the slot. When the light flashed green, I tore through the door. I had to wait for my eyes to adjust to the dim overhead light before I saw her. Directly across from us. Outside on the balcony. Leaning over the railing so far I could barely see her upper half.

Her purple mermaid nightgown fluttered around her legs. A sudden sharp breeze tossed the hair around her shoulders and unsteadied her grip on the rail for half a second. That half second shot me across the room.

Once I reached the balcony door, I grabbed her foot and pulled. “Darby, what are you—?” Something trickled from my nose. I brushed it away, and blood smeared my hand. A pinprick of dread punctured the small amount of hope I clung to. Hope that all the nightmares in my life could be done. That hope left me deflated when Darby turned around.

Blood seeped from her nose, too. Her hands were covered with it. Terror blazed bright behind her glasses. “You’re…you’re bleeding.”

“You are, too.” The hairs along my arms lifted. Both of us had nose bleeds and both of us were Trammeler sorceressi. One and Two had warned me not to waste my precious blood, but now it flowed down both our fronts for everyone to see. For what? I swallowed. So we could be hunted down? With the balcony and front doors still open, I felt very exposed. “What are you doing out here, Darby?”

Blood settled above the curve of her upper lip. “I—I thought I heard something.”

Dad, hovering in the doorway, raked his hands through his hair. “What on Earth is going on with you girls?” He took Darby by the shoulder and guided her to the bathroom. “Leigh, get the doors and then let’s get you both cleaned up.”

I reached for the handle while holding a sleeve up to my nose. As I slid the door closed, a small, bloody handprint smudged the streetlights behind it. Darby’s. She was bleeding more than me.

A slow but steady doom, doom, doom of footsteps echoed up the stairs outside the still open front door. Someone was coming. And with them came the stink of nasty meat floating in a sewer. Even with all the blood gushing a river out my nose, I could still smell it. Death. Coming closer.

Guest Post

One of my best friends in high school and I no longer speak to each other. I was dumb enough to let a boy come between us, and that was the end. Poof. Five years of friendship gone. My Facebook friend requests to her are ignored. The end.

So I guess I did what any creative type of person would do to deal with this situation and created a lovable character known as Jo in The Grave Winner series. She’s my main character Leigh’s best friend, and she shares many similarities with my lost friend. They share the same bright red hair that comes from a box and the same devotion to saving the planet. Neither of them have any interest in hiding their quirky personalities from judgment. I suppose that’s why I love Jo so much and why friendship plays such a central theme in the books.

My friend and I used to spend a lot of time in thrift stores, and Whaty-Whats, the thrift store in the books, is based on a real location. We perused the racks together, the smell of moth balls, cedar, and gently used clothing solidifying all those times into happy memories. I purposefully made that a special place for Leigh and Jo, a place neither of them would ever forget for lots of different reasons, some horrific and some pleasant.

I have a lot of happy memories of my lost best friend, like the time she wedged herself underneath a chair and couldn’t escape, or the hundreds of times we stalked our crushes. Do I blame her for breaking up with me? No. Do I miss her? Of course I do, but I have those memories of us, and now I can relive our friendship through Jo and Leigh. For now, that will do.

About The Grave Winner (Book #1)

Book Description

Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead — just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

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*OFFER VALID FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY*

Lindsey R. Loucks

Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she’s not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she’s dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she’ll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize. She’s been with her significant other for almost two decades.

Website/Blog – Twitter – Facebook

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Romantic Ruckus - An Anthology by Kara Leigh Miller - Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Book Description:

Every girl dreams of her knight in shining armor riding in on a white horse, sweeping her off her feet, and living happily ever after. But what happens when prince charming is actually a nerd wrapped in tin foil whose horse is a rusty Camaro? 

Welcome to the world of Romantic Ruckus, where happily ever after isn't so happy after all.

Authors like:

Airika Sneve -Anne E. Johnson - B. T. Petro - B. Tanton

Cathy Douglas - Christine Edwards - Dayna Ingram - Dina Lyuber

Gerri Leen - Giovanni Valentino - John H. Dromey - John Julius

Jonathan Todd Riley - Leo Norman - Lisa McCormack - Melissa Osburn

Melodie Corrigall - Ross Baxter - Ryan Priest - Sandra J. Kachurek 

Shannon Brisson - Tim Jeffreys - Tom Jolly - Tyson West

Goodreaders Link  

For the month of August, the ebook of our first anthology Alternate Hilarities will be 99 cents.

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About KARA LEIGH MILLER

Kara is a multi-published author who isn't afraid to push the boundaries. All of Kara's books can be found on her Website. Kara is a member of The Romance Writers of America, the CNY Romance Writers, and the CNY Writers Haven. Writing is her passion and she spends countless hours reading, writing, and studying the craft of young adult writing. In addition to her contributions here at Strange Musings Press, she's the Managing Editor for Anaiah Press, a Christian fiction press. 

You connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. 

Strange Musings Press

We are a small publisher founded and run by two authors with a variety of skills and talents. Visit our Staff page for more information about who we are. 

Currently, Strange Musings Press is strictly an e-publisher of anthologies: Alternate Hilarities , Romantic Ruckus, and Alternate Hilarities 2 - Vampires Suck .  We are now reading for Alternate Hilarities 3: Hysterical Realms

We DO NOT accept or publish stand alone stories, novels, or novellas at this time so please don't query us for those. We'll send you a humorous and snarky rejection letter. 

The goal of these anthologies is to help aspiring authors get published and to have fun. Everything we do here is in the spirit of humor. If we offend you in any way, well, we probably don't care =) 

Take a moment to look around and submit a story or two if you'd like. Got questions? Got a joke you want to tell us? Want to tell us how awesome we are? Stand in line and send us an email at: strangemusings.editor@verizon.net.

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Here is a list of some of the stories in Romantic Ruckus.

First Love by Ross Baxter

Dating can be a heartbreaking learning experience at the best of times. We’ve all been let down at one time or another, but add alcohol, science and telepathy to the mix and the results can be a true education.

A Mouse of a Different Color by Tyson West

Her daughter was having a princess birthday party and milf Chastity, no longer a princess, chanced on her own private Beauty and the Beast party. However, she learned you can’t always tell a beast by its cover.

Anything for You, Baby by Tyson West

Why did Clyde turn Bonnie on?  

Why do good girls do bad guys? 

Hybristophilia 

Benign by Dayna Ingram

Benign traces the single moment - brief as the flame of a struck match yet twice as scorching - in the life of a woman when she simultaneously discovers, obtains, and, in obtaining, loses everything she never knew she desired, embodied in the dermatological abnormality of a passing stranger.

Bullets and Blackbirds by Lisa McCormack

When Kelly’s Secret Santa gifts become sinister, she turns to her gorgeous sexy boyfriend for comfort. But Secret Santa knows more than he’s telling. The darkest gift is yet to come.

Dead Party by Fred Jolly

If you got invited to a zombie party, would you wear your cutest top? See what happens when you mix smart cars, hot women, and barbeque sauce together at this year’s weirdest get-together. And find out why the words “zombie” and “lust” just don’t go together that well.

Hot Flashes by John H. Dromey

This fore-“word”-play is a verbal tease,

An intro to prose that aims to please.

Wanna join the Smile High Club? Read on.

If At First You Don’t Succeed By Gerri Leen

Gorgeous gowns, dancing, and a handsome prince: what girl wouldn’t want to attend a ball at the castle and find true love? This not terribly experienced Fairy Godmother is about to meet Cinderella, who doesn't want to go and has to be compelled, by means fair … and not so.

That Girl with the Wicked Long Hair by Gerri Leen

Rapunzel is a pretty strange story no matter how you tell it. Even so, the Brothers Grimm might be a little surprised at this narrator's technique. But finally we get the real scoop on Rapunzel, her wacky hijinks, and of course, her wicked long hair.

The Good Whiskey Made Me Do It by CHRISTINE EDWARDS

What really happens when the common man comes into money? Jeff inherits not only wealth, but also wisdom, and his wife doesn’t approve of the latter. His problems don’t end there, and he blames it all on the good whiskey.

Wireless Love Triangle by Jason Graff

Man loves his wireless devices. They make life more convenient How best to show our appreciation? What thoughts are worth sharing? And, what do we do when they love us back?

Young Zombies in Love by John H. Dromey

What should women do if men are attracted by their beauty and ignore their brains completely? That is the question. Is dating a zombie the answer?

The Murano Glass Cat by John Julius

Finn is a bad guy. After his girl catches him out, he decides to become a nice guy. He changes his routine, his hobbies and even his job. Can Finn switch up his game and treat his girl the way she deserves? Or will he be tempted again?

The Story So Far By B. Tanton

Danger!  Beware!!  Before reading The Story so Far, are you a sexually broad-minded adult?   If not, proceed with the utmost caution.

Lingering By Melissa Osburn

After being widowed for two years, Gabe decides to start dating again. Her dead husband doesn't think it's such a great idea though.

Eye to Eye by Melodie Corrigal

A young man’s platonic passion for, and persistent loyalty to, his first love—spuds—creates friction in his later sexual dalliances. His innocent affection transforms initially loving mates into intolerant and unforgiving ex-partners. 

The Love Gun by Anne E. Johnson

Professor Malik Jonas designed an ingenious weapon that could disintegrate the enemy. He never imagined that a simple smile could disintegrate his heart.

An Eye for Love by Dina Lyuber

What’s worse than spending Valentine’s Day alone? A lot of things, as Candace finds out after her best friend Pam drags her out for drinks. 

Migration by Sandra J. Kachurek

Tom dreams of being a big-time photographer instead of a data entry man. His dream takes him to the roof of his office building in hopes of snapping a few shots of butterflies. What develops is a surprising lesson about nature, human nature.

Big Screen Romance by Sandra J. Kachurek

Trudi's got a plan to get her boyfriend back, whether he wants her or not. Her scheme unrolls on Halloween night. When she realizes she can't have him, then she'll take whatever he's got, which may be even better.

Samantha and the Queen by Cathy Douglas

You might think finding fairy-tale love would be easy when you're the most powerful woman in the world, and you have the help of a professional Relationship Scientist and her high-tech matchmaker. But beware, for the (alternate) universe is full of gold diggers!

Change of Tastes by Ryan Priest

In every city there’s an area or a street, written down nowhere but known to all. A place where the traditional lines blur and even the most taboo debauchery can be bought…for a price.

The Angry Automaton by Tim Jeffreys

I used to lie awake at night, laughing to myself, imagining him slipping her the hose.  Tweaking her dials.  Pushing his pipe into her socket.

A Blind Date to Die for by Giovanni Valentino

Dating is difficult but it shouldn’t be hazardous to your health. Unless she’s the one.

1st prize:   $25 Amazon Gift Card

2nd prize: 3 digital copy of Death of a Waterfall by Kara Leigh Miller

3rd prize: 3 digital copies of Alternate Hilarities

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Fractured Truth Tour by Rachel McClellan - Giveaway, Excerpt & Guest Post

Fractured Truth

(Fractured Light #3)

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow–the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

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Fractured Light

(Fractured Light #1)

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

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Fractured Soul

(Fractured Light #2)

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat.

This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

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Guest Post

Why I Write

There are a select few who claim to see dead people. I’m not one of them, but I do see characters, and, honestly, some of them are just as scary. The other day I reached for a hanger that had slid partially beneath an attic door in the back of my son’s closet. Just as my fingers touched the hard, white plastic, something, or someone, sucked the hanger into the attic. It was only a moment later that I realized the thing in my attic is the ghost of a seriously pissed-off, murdered woman.

None of this happened, of course. It was only in my imagination, but now the woman is there. Stuck inside my head as much as she’s stuck in my attic. She joins the countless others who are just waiting for their story to be told. I listen best I can, and when I have time I write down their stories. The sooner the better.

It wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I could look at an oddly-shaped tree and keep walking; the deep hole in its side was merely a squirrel’s home and not an entrance to a world where humans hide at night and travel at day to avoid the growing number of Junks (those who have had their humanity turned off by the Authorities).

At first I tried ignoring the characters, pretended they didn’t exist. But this only made them louder. When their cries started to contend with that of my children’s, I knew I had to listen. It took some time, but eventually I found a way to balance my own life with that of theirs.

Llona wasn’t the first character I wrote about, but she was the loudest, and, gratefully, wasn’t as scary as the others. I like writing about her. She makes me laugh so I’m glad she has more to say in the sequel of Fractured Light.

Those of you interested in writing, listen to characters. They’re all around us desperately waiting to be heard. Help them find their voice. Work hard. Stay focused. And most importantly don’t give up on them. They only want to exist.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

“You have four minutes, Llona,” Liam said through a microphone in my ear. His voice, like the ringing of a great bell, pounded my already aching head.

The small plane’s engine shrieked, a high-pitched sound different from the steady hum of the last twenty minutes. Everyone had boarded a while ago. It was a silent crowd, not one likely to converse with each other.

I shifted my weight in the plane’s cramped closet. I could’ve come out as I’d just turned invisible, but I wanted to wait until the speed of the plane increased, covering any sounds the closet door might make when opened.

It was shortly after Cyrus kidnapped my aunt Sophie from Lucent academy that I taught myself to turn invisible. I’d practiced every day, sometimes for hours, until I could do it without the accompanying paralyzing weakness. And although the pain hadn’t gotten any better, I was able to increase the time I could maintain invisibility to several minutes. I’d accomplished all this in just the few short months since Christian’s death.

Just then the plane lurched forward, picking up speed on the runway. I opened the door and peered into the plane’s small kitchen. Empty. Perfect. I quietly slipped out and closed the door behind me.

The front wheels of the plane bounced. The cabin, as I suspected, was full of Vykens sitting in their seats, their backs to me, as if they were regular passengers. Most of them looked like normal humans, which meant they’d fed on Auran blood recently, but a few were in their purest form— facial features deformed and gray with moldy skin peeling back from their faces.

There was only one different from the rest. Jackson. He sat three rows up to the right of the center aisle.

With the Deific’s help, Liam had finally received a tip on Jackson’s whereabouts. It was the closest we’d come to finding out where Cyrus was keeping Sophie. I glanced to my left, to the emergency exit. By the way the plane was vibrating, it was close to taking off.

A Vyken stood and slid into the aisle. I pressed myself against a seat to keep him from bumping into me. I had yet to learn how to let matter pass through me. That may be a trick only my mother knew.

After the Vyken passed by, I went to Jackson. He was looking down at his bloodied knuckles. How did that happen? Jackson used to be a guardian. He (and a bunch of others who had followed him) had joined the Vykens against the Auras months ago. I’d been training harder than ever to stop them all and restore the Auras to their former strength. The strength only a few knew about.

The plane lifted. Still plenty of time to make my move.


I reached down, careful to avoid touching Jackson, and undid his seat belt. He glanced to his lap, brow twisted together. I smacked the back of his head, hard. He turned around and stared at the Vyken behind him.

“What’s your problem?” Jackson asked. 

The Vyken ignored him.

Jackson stood and confronted the Vyken again. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

The Vyken lifted his gaze from the sports magazine in his hand. “I know Cyrus said we can’t kill you, but he didn’t say we couldn’t hurt you. Sit down, guardian.”

Liam’s voice spoke again in my ear. “Hurry up.”

Several Vykens looked around. His voice, this close to so many of them, must have drawn attention.

Time to pay for your crimes, Jackson.

I drew my fist back and punched Jackson in the face. His hand came up to his bloodied nose. “What the . . . ?”

A few Vykens stood up.

I punched him again. He stumbled back toward the exit, arms outstretched as though to steady himself. Blood ran onto his chin.

“What’s going on?” he yelled.


I answered with a swift kick to his chest. It took just a second for him to recover before he started blindly throwing punches. “Someone help me!”

Vykens looked around as if they didn’t know what to do.

I dodged Jackson’s fist and punched him again. He was in position. I took hold of the emergency latch and pulled it as hard as I could. The door flew open, sucking air from the cabin.

Papers and all kinds of debris flew past me. Jackson scrambled backward, his eyes darting around until he was pressed against the wall separating the kitchen from the cabin.

The others stood alert, some in a fight-ready stance. But who were they going to fight? They couldn’t see me. No one could.

Grabbing Jackson, I spun him around until he was facing the open door; his clothes and hair whipped around violently. He stuttered.

His fear excited me, sending a wave of adrenaline through my blood stream.

I was about to reveal myself to him, just so I could see the surprise in his eyes, but Liam’s voice sounded in my ear. “Get out of there—now!”

Jerking into action, I wrapped my arms around Jackson’s chest and jumped from the plane, spiraling into a black abyss.

Chapter Two

I fell through the darkness, slicing through it like a knife in water. Cold air burned my face, and the force of it made it difficult to breathe. 

Jackson’s body was torn from my grip, and he was twisting and writhing as if he could somehow climb his way back into the airplane. He was probably screaming too, but I couldn’t hear over the deafening sound of the wind rushing over me. 

I glanced around, my eyes wet from the air. What appeared to be streetlights were growing closer. I’d never done this before, jumped from an airplane, but I wasn’t nervous, although I should be. I wasn’t wearing a parachute.

I squinted my eyes to try to see Jackson, but he wasn’t spread eagle like me so was probably falling faster. The tree line of the forest came into view against the night sky. I was really close now. Maybe fifteen seconds before impact. I began to count.

At twelve, my body jerked as if I had been sucked into a tornado, and I had a difficult time controlling which way my body was twisting. It was like no other sensation I’d ever experienced before, and my lungs tightened and pressure built up in my ear- drums until I thought they might burst. But in no time at all, I was on the ground, my legs unsteady from the whirlwind.

Liam appeared next to me, having shifted back to his human form. It still amazed me whenever he did that. 

“You okay?” he asked.

I inhaled deeply. “I think so. What a rush.”


“Sorry it took me longer than usual to catch you, but Jackson was fighting against me so I had to knock him out. I hope you weren’t scared.”

Jackson was nearby, lying on the ground, his brown hair drenched in sweat. “I wasn’t worried at all.”

“You weren’t?”

“I knew you would catch me.” I went to Jackson and nudged him. “Let’s get him back before he wakes up.”

When Liam didn’t answer, I looked back at him. He was staring at me, his green eyes illuminated by the moonlight. For just a moment I was reminded of his age, over two centuries old. I often forgot this because on the outside he didn’t look much older than me, but in the right light his eyes would betray him, revealing years of inner torment.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You shouldn’t put so much trust in me.” 

“Why? You’ve never let me down.”

He walked over to Jackson, picked him up, and threw him over his shoulder. “Because one day I may not be there for you.”

Rachel McClellan

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

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