I had the pleasure of reading an ARC copy of Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti. Tell Me What Really Happened centers around five teenagers who go for a weekend camping trip out in the woods. But when one of them goes missing, each of the remaining four friends has a different piece of the puzzle.
The first few seconds after a jump are always a doozy. Once the room stops spinning, I can take stock of where I am… and when I am. This time, I’ve jumped into my past self from about two years ago during one of my training sessions with Jonathan. He is in the ring with […]
I have been a big fan of Megan Miranda’s work for quite a while, and I was extremely excited to be able to read and review an advanced copy of her newest book, Such A Quiet Place, coming this July. Such A Quiet Place is about a small and safe community where everyone knows everyone […]
I know it’s been a while since I last posted… a long while. Things have been a little crazy in my writing world. First off, the publisher of my first book, No Exit, went out of business. That wouldn’t be too bad, if they didn’t take hundreds of author’s royalties with them. And this all under the banner of being a “Christian Publisher.” Needless to say, they didn’t get away with it, they got stuck with several felony charges and are on probation so they can pay it all back. So that has been an ongoing process with the Attorney General in Oklahoma where they were located.
And yeah, it sucks, but this is how I’m choosing to look at it: through it all, I still got my book out there. May not have worked out the way I wanted in the end, but if it reached at least one person, it all was worth it. And I’m not letting any of it stop me…
Enter my WIP… (that’s work in progress for any of my non-writerly friends out there)
“Zeit!” I screamed, but it was too late. He couldn’t hear me; I had already started my walk through time. My stomach lurched and turned as centuries passed before my eyes in streaks of color and ghosted visions. Men and women lived out their lives, oblivious to my tiny, fleeting window into it. And then […]
Consciousness returns to me, albeit, hazily.
“Zeit!” Kylie screams. Her voice is distant and distorted, like hearing someone try to yell underwater.
I slit my eyes open, letting a little light into my dark world. I see the blurry image of Kylie hovering over me. I’m lying on my back, I gather.
Then the memory of the day’s events return full force.
“Kylie,” I say with a hoarse voice. “Did it work?”
She looks over her shoulder, presumably at the woman we were trying to save.” She’s alive, but still unconscious. The helicopter is gone, and so is Carlo.”
“They bought it then.” It is a statement rather than a question. “They thought she was dead and left. It worked.”
Kylie nods.
I look down at my chest; my clothes are blood-red, and I probably don’t have long. That was it, I realize. No matter how many times I tried, I never would have been able to do it on my own. Kylie was the missing piece. Or, I should say, she and I together. Kylie had to intervene and I had to take the woman’s place. We were meant to be here now, together.
“Now where have you taken me?” Kylie gasps. At least she doesn’t vomit this time. “It’s too hot here.”
She looks around at the desert landscape. We are standing in a town square, of sorts, where some children are playing baseball. The square is surrounded by a few tall buildings. Hot air whips at her hair as she tries to keep it out of her face.
“In my many travels, I met a very compelling man named Carlo, an assassin trapped in a world he wished beyond anything he could escape. Something about his story calls to me. It is this very moment that defines the rest of his life. We travelers are not supposed to meddle in the affairs of humans, but as you may have learned, that is not always so easy. I have tried, and failed, many times to change this. For both their sakes.”
“What happened here?”
“Happens, present tense,” I correct her. “Watch, up there.”
I point to the roof several stories above our heads. I see the familiar scene unfold as it always does. Carlo is on the roof, looking through the scope of his rifle.
“He’s going to kill someone?” She asks.
“Her.” I point to a woman on the ground a few feet away from us. Her face is beautiful, framed by brilliant auburn hair. “He loves her more than his own life.”
“Then why kill her?”
“He has no choice. Punishment, for trying to leave his profession.”
The deafening thunder of helicopter blades drowns out further conversation.
I wanted to take a moment to post my official review of Enchanter, the latest release in the Flawed series by Becca J. Campbell. If you’re not familiar with the series, it’s set in a world where some people develop supernatural abilities, sometimes referred to as “flaws” by those who feel their abilities are more of a curse than a blessing. I’m a huge fan of Becca J. Campbell and the whole Flawed series, so if you haven’t read them yet, be sure to pick them up! The series consists of four full-length novels: Empath, Outsider, Protector, Enchanter. There are also a few short stories in the series: Pulled, Constricted, and The Father Hunt.
Here is the official synopsis of Enchanter:
Violet can make anyone obey her. And she wants revenge.
After a series of abductions, Jade just wants to enjoy life with her boyfriend, Logan. But her empathic flaw has morphed into something even worse. Now her emotions are affecting everyone nearby, making her a dangerous force. Jade’s volatile emotions and Logan’s super-strength make a deadly mix.
Meanwhile, Violet, a woman from Logan’s past, has turned from infatuated colleague to jealous stalker. After recovering from an injury, she develops the power to control minds. Now Violet is finally able to get anything—and anyone—she wants.
And Violet wants Logan.
While Jade is dealing with her escaping emotions, she meets fellow English major Graham. He is the only one who knows what Violet is truly capable of. Jade enlists his help to in trying to save Logan from Violet’s clutches. But can they stop Violet before she puts them under her spell?
This fourth and final installment in the Flawed series once again pulls together a crew of friends with unique abilities. This time they must face the fury of a vengeful enchantress.
I feel the familiar tug in my gut, the very fabric of my being wrenched from the moment and space I once occupied. I am not surprised by the sensation, but rather welcome it, like returning home. But even after centuries of Time Walking, it still sends a thrill through me. Surrounded by black, lights sweep past my field of vision, like shooting starts in the dead of night, and for a brief moment, I feel as though we are flying.
And as immediate as the Walk started, we jolt to a halt. I look over at Kylie, who stumbles to the ground from the sheer force of the abrupt stop.
“Are you alright?” I ask, though I know she probably is not.
“Excuse me while I hurl,” she says.
And she does.
Though I can hardly hold it against her. I can only imagine what an experience like that must feel like to a human.
When she finally composes herself, she stands and straightens her clothes. “I think ‘quite a rush’ doesn’t cut it. Time Walking should come with a disclaimer.”
More from Zeit and Kylie’s story…
“Tea?” Kylie asks with a hint of humor and sarcasm. She motions with her hand toward the area of the store once occupied by my time portal. “Do you realize when you… whatever it is you do to get around… you’ve landed yourself in Seattle, the coffee capital of the country. No, I don’t have any tea.”
I stare at her, momentarily struck speechless. “Wait a minute. I reveal I can travel through time, and your most pressing concern is that the only refreshment you can offer me is coffee? Hmm… I think we’re going to get along just swimmingly. Now then, where were we?”
“How about I close up early and put a pot on, while you tell me how and why you’re standing in the middle of my shop?”
“That would be agreeable.”
She stares at me a moment longer before turning to lock the front door. It makes me wonder what thoughts had her so captivated in that moment. I gaze at her, watching her glide down the aisle, every movement a testament to the love and care she pours into this place every single day.
“What?” She asks. “You were staring.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Lead the way, my dear.”
She leads me through a heavy maroon curtain at the back of the shop and into what I assume to be the break room. Although, I can’t image she has many employees to take advantage of such a space.
“Does anyone work here with you?” I ask nonchalantly.
“Just one, but he’s part-time, not due to show up until tomorrow’s evening shift.”
I nod, and she motions toward the round table and chairs set up in the middle of the room. I set my top hat on the table, lift my coat tails and take a seat while she starts preparing the coffee.
“Can I help?” I offer, starting to rise.
“Are you kidding?” Tea drinkers should not be in charge of making the coffee.”
She snickers softly, and I do the same. She is quite amusing, this one.