Check out the links to all of these fun titles below!
Fledgling: https://amzn.to/2DCKze3
The Artisans: https://amzn.to/2CKFoYl
Fire in the Woods: https://amzn.to/2OprQI6
Soulmated: https://amzn.to/2AbZzMq
Of the Trees: https://amzn.to/2AcOESR
Genesis Girl: https://amzn.to/2Aee8zb
Emerge: https://amzn.to/2IZ2OcF
There Once Were Stars: https://amzn.to/2RSvKqP
Welcome in! I’m so excited to be a part of this blog tour for the amazing E.M. Fitch and her new book! I’ve got more tour stop dates, an excerpt and special giveaway here, so don’t forget to scroll down and enter the contest near the bottom of the post!
Now to get on with it. Have you seen this cool and freaky cover yet?
I love the vibe!
Title: OF THE TREES
Author: E.M. Fitch
Pub. Date: February 28, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 345
Where to get it:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play Books | Indiebound
Watch the author’s video about her book here:
Cassie and Laney fancy themselves amateur ghost hunters. When a carnival comes to town, Cassie embraces the chance to try something new.
Carnival workers watch the girls with a collective gaze that ignites in Laney a dark and dangerous fascination, leaving Cassie unnerved.
It’s not just their age or the unsettling way they stare. There is something in the shifting of their skin and the way their features seem to change in the shadows.
Cassie can’s shake this sickening feeling that there’s more to the carnival than meets the eye.
When townspeople suddenly start dying and bloody warnings appear around town, Cassie is lured into a nightmare where trees whisper and strange, shape-shifting men haunt the backwoods she once hunted for ghosts with her best friend.
Then Laney goes missing, and only Cassie can get her back. But the creatures of the trees aren’t simply going to hand Laney over to Cassie without getting something in return.
Here’s more about the author …
E.M. Fitch is an author who loves scary stories, chocolate, and tall trees. When not dreaming up new ways to torture characters, she is usually corralling her four children or thinking of ways to tire them out so she can get an hour of peace at night. She lives in Connecticut, surrounded by chaos, which she manages (somewhat successfully) with her husband, Marc.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
1 winner will receive a $25 Fandango Gift Card, US Only.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZTIzODliYTI4ZTEzMGVjODBhNzA2MmFmMTU3YWM3OjU1MQ==/?
Cassie’s boots crunched on the gravel, the grating noise cutting through the faint undertone of laughter and squeals that were just up ahead. Her imagination always went into overdrive during these isolated, dark moments. She knew it, and sometimes the little movements everyone saw out of the corner of their eyes took on a life of their own. So she ignored it, not wanting to give life to the fear.
Laney was different. She’d run into the shadows and flush out the monsters, which would, of course, invariably turn out to be a rabbit, or bird, or the errant flash of light cast from someone’s wristwatch. It was always explainable. Even knowing that, Cassie wasn’t one to tempt fate. She preferred to let sleeping monsters lie.
“Have a light?”
Cassie jumped, not really expecting a voice from the dark. From between two cars, a shadow solidified. A boy stepped forward, his jeans smeared with grease and his dark hood up over his head and hanging down past his brow. She could just make out the sandy hair that hovered over the piercing, blue eyes. He stared at her as he stepped closer, his gaze sharp in the darkness.
Or was it a man? Now that he drew nearer, the lines of boyhood seemed to melt. His face was older, drawn. There were creases in the folds of his skin that she hadn’t noticed at first. Somehow, it seemed like he was wearing a cheap Halloween mask, something rubber made to emulate human skin, and suddenly she was terrified, a feeling of danger rising up from her core.
“No, sorry,” she stammered, stepping back.
He stepped with her.
She jumped again when a car horn blared and turned to see her father still parked there, his outline peering at her through the dark. A chuckle echoed from the shadows, and Cassie shivered, even in the unseasonable warmth.
“Got to go, sorry,” she said. The man stared, his head tilting slightly as he regarded her. He didn’t speak, and yet Cassie got the strange impression he was trying to communicate with her anyway.
Creepy right? The sort of creepy that’s right up my YA thriller/horror alley. I can’t wait to start reading this one, ya’ll.
Hope you enjoy and thanks so much for stopping by!
By the way … if you want to follow more of the tour, all the dates are listed below!
Week One:
2/27/2017- Lisa’s Loves(Books of Course)– Interview
2/27/2017- Never Too Many To Read– Review
2/27/2017- Julie Reece– Excerpt
2/28/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Guest Post
2/28/2017- Book Review Becca– Review
3/1/2017- Two Chicks on Books– Interview
3/1/2017- Omg Books and More Books– Review
3/2/2017- Always & Forever Fangirling– Excerpt
3/2/2017- Bookaholic Banter– Review
3/3/2017- Rockin’ Book Reviews– Guest Post
3/3/2017- Quantum– Review
Week Two:
3/6/2017- LILbooKlovers– Interview
3/6/2017- Don’t Judge, Read– Review
3/7/2017- The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange– Excerpt
3/7/2017- Book Lovers Life– Review
3/8/2017- Hidden Worlds Books– Guest Post
3/8/2017- Book-Keeping– Review
3/9/2017- Bibliobibuli YA– Interview
3/9/2017- StephanieCassidyBlog– Review
3/10/2017- So Few Books– Interview
3/10/2017- I am not a bookworm!– Review
Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for
The Perilous Journey Of The Much Too Spontaneous Girl
by Leigh Statham
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Happy Book Birthday, Leigh!
Lady Marguerite Vadnay and her trusty automaton, Outil, have settled into life in New France rather well. Marguerite is top of the class at flight school and her future as an aerpilot is nearly secure. She has everything she wants— except a commission on the pirate hunting dirigible The Renegade. Using every card in her aristocratic arsenal, Marguerite wiggles her way onto the finest warship France has to offer. But as usual, Marguerite’s plans endanger the lives of those she holds dear— only this time no one else is going to save them. As Marguerite and Outil set off on a rescue mission they may not return from, she finally realizes it’s time to reorder her cogs.
This steampunk adventure is littered with facts from The Golden Age of Piracy and follows (not too closely) some of the lives and adventures of the brave men and women who sailed the seas as privateers, pirates and soldiers.
The Perilous Journey Of The Much Too Spontaneous Girl
(The Perilous Journey of the Not So Innocuous Girl #2)
by Leigh Statham
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family’s steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.
Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Hello readers!
Are you looking for your next read?
Well, let us help make things easier for you!
Welcome to the Book Blast for
The Carver by Jacob Devlin
presented by Blaze Publishing!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Looking for more books to read?
Read on and find a book that’s waiting for you to devour!
THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers…
THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . .
THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . .
Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind.
With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.
The Carver by Jacob Devlin
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Publisher: Blaze Publishing
BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:
“an inspired vision that felt fresh and unique; and something that would be entertaining for all ages” – Silvia’s Reading
“The descriptions were vivid and I could easily see it in my head!” – Kindle and Me
“It brings you great laughs, tears and a special twist on all the fairytales we know from our childhood.” – Goodreads Reviewer
When Jacob Devlin was four years old, he would lounge around in Batman pajamas and make semi-autobiographical picture books about an adventurous python named Jake the Snake. Eventually, he traded his favorite blue crayon for a black pen, and he never put it down. When not reading or writing, Jacob loves practicing his Italian, watching stand-up comedy, going deaf at rock concerts, and geeking out at comic book conventions. He does most of these things in southern Arizona.
YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT…
Seventeen-year-old Rose suffers from terrifying, painful nightmares that leave her bruised, exhausted, and questioning her sanity. Desperate to hold on, she makes a choice: Trust her doctor who claims he can cure her, or listen to another patient who swears the asylum will kill them.
Asleep by Krystal Wade
Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Blaze Publishing
BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD
When Sixteen-year-old Andie Hamilton discovers she’s pregnant, she also learns the truth of her adoption. Overwhelmed, Andie must choose what’s best for the baby, but after hearing the heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able let go.
Because I Love You by Tori Rigby
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Blaze Publishing
BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
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Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for
Operation Tenley by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Happy Book Birthday, Jennifer!
Meet Tenley Tylwyth, an Elemental Teen born with the power to produce weather. Cool? Not really. Elementals who can create weather make Mother Nature angry. It’s time she got rid of them. Only one thing is standing in her way—Fair Ones. These ancestors of fairies keep kids like Tenley safe, but when rookie Fair One, Pennie, fails to do so, she’s forced to travel to Earth—a place where no Fair One wants to go. Now, Pennie has forty-eight hours to convince Tenley to give up her power. It won’t be so easy. Tenley’s got a way with wind. And after falling deep into Mother Nature’s gardens, where trees grow upside down and insects attack on command, a little wind might be just what Tenley needs to survive. Even if it kills her.
Operation Tenley (The Fair City Files #1)
by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Publication Date: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Something sharp was jabbing into her side. Pennie opened her eyes.
Branches.
Poking her.
Real branches.
The kind that could only be found on Earth.
Pennie jolted upright and hit the ground.
She moaned. She’d landed in a tree. The one she’d just fallen out of. Her head felt like it was splitting down the middle. She reached for her tool belt before remembering she didn’t have it. She lifted her wrist to look at her stopwatch, before remembering she didn’t have that either.
“Gavron?” Pennie whispered. “Gavron?”
But Gavron was not there. And there weren’t any slurps or drools coming from anywhere, either.
She tried to stand, but must have forgotten about the house on her back. Or maybe it was a small meteor. Something very heavy was preventing her from standing. She pushed against the ground with all her might and got to her knees.
Gravity, she remembered. That’s what it was.
Jennifer Gooch Hummer is the award-winning author and screenwriter of her debut novel, Girl Unmoored (SparkPress). Girl Unmoored has also been published in German (Carlsen). Jennifer has worked as a script analyst for various talent agencies and film studios. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
Click on a Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win $220 to spend on books!
We love our readers!
I LOVE you guys!!
SO…
Fourteen YA authors, including myself, are sponsoring this giveaway for your chance to win a $220 Amazon e-gift card to restock your bookshelves this fall.
Participating authors include:
***Click on a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter!***
Fine Print:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Time Period: Begins on 09/08/2016 at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) and ends on 09/22/2016 at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)). Eligibility: Open to legal residents of USA and Canada who are Must be 13 years old to enter or older. Winner Selection: The winner of the giveaway will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible Entries received throughout the Promotion Period. The random drawing will be conducted by 48 hours by Sponsor or its designated representatives, whose decisions are final. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible Entries received. Winner will be notified by email at the email address provided in the Entry Information on or about 48 hours after the random drawing.
INTO THE LIGHT BY CAROLINE T. PATTI BLOG TOUR
Link to Tour Schedule:
So excited to welcome Caroline Patti to the blog today! Have you seen the awesome cover of the next book in her Into the Dark series?
Well, here you go …
Into the Light (Into the Dark #2)
by Caroline T. Patti
Publication Date: August 23, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Blurb:
Mercy’s family is back together and the threat of danger appears to have passed. But any relief she feels is short lived as she is ripped from her body and thrown in jail. Gage and Nathaniel’s plans to break Mercy out won’t exactly be easy. Stuffed full of a chemical binding agent, Mercy is trapped inside the body of a convict without the ability to breach and set herself free. Unfortunately for Mercy, being trapped in jail becomes the least of her problems when she meets her evil twin, Justice.
Sounds so good, right?
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28537177-into-the-light
BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD
Now we’ll open it up to Caroline and find out more about what makes this author so great!
Our Question:
Can you talk about the influences that have inspired your writing throughout your life? We’re curious to know what books/authors were favorites as a child, what you read in middle and high school that may have changed the way you think, and your main inspirations as an adult.
Caroline’s answer:
Books were one of the things my parents always said yes to, so I gobbled them up as much as I could. I also grew up around the block from one of the biggest libraries in the Bay Area, the Santa Clara Public Library, and I went there all the time. As a kid I wasn’t really discerning between good and bad books. I just liked books. Period. When we went on camping trips we would stop at a general store and I would get strawberry soda and a paperback. That was my treat.
Lois Duncan quickly stood out as one of my favorite authors, and I didn’t even realize until I started doing these blog posts that Into the Light and Stranger With My Face are actually kind of similar. It wasn’t intentional at all, but influences seep in when we’re not paying attention. Of that I’m sure.
My tween years, though we never would’ve called them that in 1986, were full of Sweet Valley High. I don’t know many readers from my generation who didn’t love Jessica and Elizabeth. I think I was in sixth grade when an older cousin of mine caught me reading at the dinner table and later she mailed me a letter, writing to me that books were a lot like food, some are more enriching than others, and that I shouldn’t spoil my appetite with nothing but dessert. She must not have thought very much of SVH, but she had a point also. It was right about that time that I read Little Women for the first time, meeting my soul mate, Josephine March. I can’t think of any of literary character who spoke to me as much as Jo. So I said farewell to Jessica and Elizabeth.
After Jo, I met Anne Shirley and wow, did we have a lot in common. Spunky, mouthy, fearless, I loved everything about Anne Shirley. I even envied her red hair. I wanted a Gilbert Blythe to call me carrot top. I did a stint as a redhead in college, but it never took. Now, my hair is pink. It’s all about compromise, I guess.
In high school I didn’t read novels as much as I wrote poetry, so I transferred my love to Emily Dickenson. I didn’t understand her need to be a recluse, which is maybe why she fascinated me. I can recite my favorite poem of hers to this day. Words really stick. Poetry ended up being my first foray into publication. Published at nineteen? I’ll take it!
In my twenties I lost my teenage angst, got married and had kids, so poetry fell to the waste side. Books became my escape from everything and everyone and mysteries were my book of choice. Sandra Brown is my absolute favorite and when she tweeted to me I fangirled like an idiot. What I love about Sandra Brown is that there’s always a steamy scene, and there’s always an audible gasp because I did not see something coming. I think I’ve definitely adapted that technique in my own writing. That is not to say I am as good as Sandra because I am not. The Witness is my favorite book of hers.
When I finally decided that writing was all I wanted to do, I started reading everything in sight. Amazon Prime might be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. I live thirty minutes from the nearest bookstore and traffic stinks, so books right to my door in two days? Yes, please.
The only other job I ever wanted besides writer was teacher, and I can still remember the moment the light bulb went off that writing for young people is what I’m best suited for. Since then, I’ve never looked back.
Thanks so much, Caroline! Love Lois Duncan and let’s just say Amazon Prime is a friend, ha ha.
Readers, don’t forget to enter the contest below for a chance to win her fabulous books!
Giveaway Information: Contest ends August 12, 2016
Enter here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e574/?
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YzA4YzllOGVhNjNmZDBjNGRjZjNjYzUwYzFhNDY1OjU3NA==/?
Want more?
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
A girl’s sweet sixteen party is supposed to be among the most memorable events of her life. But on the night of hers, Mercy Clare wakes in the waiting room of a hospital with no memory of how she got there. To make matters worse, she’s wearing something she’d never be caught dead in: her best friend Lyla’s clothes.
Mercy’s nightmare is just beginning. The doctor arrives to tell her that it’s she who lies in the hospital bed waiting to die. A trip to the bathroom confirms Mercy’s fears, as Lyla’s face stares back at her and Lyla’s curvy figure pokes through her tight clothes.
But finding out what’s really going on won’t be easy. Because if Mercy wants her body back, it might just cost her Lyla’s life.
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23213803-into-the-dark
AMAZON | KOBO | B&N | CHAPTERS | iBOOKS | BAM | TBD
Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for
Into The Light (Into The Dark #2)
by Caroline T. Patti
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Happy Book Birthday, Caroline!
Mercy’s family is back together and the threat of danger appears to have passed. But any relief she feels is short lived as she is ripped from her body and thrown in jail. Gage and Nathaniel’s plans to break Mercy out won’t exactly be easy. Stuffed full of a chemical binding agent, Mercy is trapped inside the body of a convict without the ability to breach and set herself free. Unfortunately for Mercy, being trapped in jail becomes the least of her problems when she meets her evil twin, Justice.
Into the Light (Into the Dark #2)
by Caroline T. Patti
Publication Date: August 23, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
A girl’s sweet sixteen party is supposed to be among the most memorable events of her life. But on the night of hers, Mercy Clare wakes in the waiting room of a hospital with no memory of how she got there. To make matters worse, she’s wearing something she’d never be caught dead in: her best friend Lyla’s clothes.
Mercy’s nightmare is just beginning. The doctor arrives to tell her that it’s she who lies in the hospital bed waiting to die. A trip to the bathroom confirms Mercy’s fears, as Lyla’s face stares back at her and Lyla’s curvy figure pokes through her tight clothes.
But finding out what’s really going on won’t be easy. Because if Mercy wants her body back, it might just cost her Lyla’s life.
Amazon | Kobo | B&N | Chapters | iBooks | BAM | TBD
Caroline T Patti is the author of The World Spins Madly On and Too Late To Apologize. When she’s not writing, she’s a school librarian, mother of two, wife, avid reader and Green Bay Packer fan. You can chat with her on Twitter: carolinetpatti or find her on Facebook: Author Caroline T Patti.
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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THE ARTISANS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21944665-the-artisans?ac=1&from_search=true
THE PALADINS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25757247-the-paladins
ARGOS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28537159-argos?from_search=true
MINOTAUR:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22264041-minotaur?ac=1&from_search=true
FIRE IN THE WOODS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22674815-fire-in-the-woods?ac=1&from_search=true
FLEDGLING:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18733563-fledgling?ac=1&from_search=true
FACSIMILE:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18249272-facsimile?ac=1&from_search=true
ARTIFACTS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25721477-artifacts?from_search=true
1Hadley Beach, California
Tenley Tylwyth needed votes.
Which is why today she stood outside in the busy quad wearing a sash draped over her left shoulder that read Vote For Me, Tenley T!
Behind her, a group of boys played Frisbee, while in front of her, students hurried by, ignoring the flyers she held out.
Please totally Nominate Tenley Tylwyth to represent Hadley Middle School on America’s Next Most Inspirational Teen this Friday Night.
When the Frisbee flew straight toward Tenley’s head, none of the students noticed.
Except one.
Holden Wonderbolt was a size or two skinnier than the other boys his age, with milk chocolate skin and impressive skateboard skills. He was on the way to the skate ramp when he spotted the Frisbee.
“Watch out!” he yelled.
Tenley turned around just as Holden leaped off his board and launched himself forward. Instead of intercepting the Frisbee, though, Holden sailed toward Tenley while above them, the Frisbee spun off in the opposite direction.
Had others seen it, they would have wondered: Did that Frisbee just stop in midair, flip itself sideways, and zoom off in a completely different direction? But no one had seen it. Not even Holden, who was busy preparing to land on Tenley.
This is what Tenley did: step back.
This is what Holden did: (crash) land.
This is what the rest of the students did: stare.
Oh, and a few photos were taken and posted on the Internet within seconds.
2
North West Observation Spot, Fair City
Standard Fair One 3rdi’s were sufficient enough to see everything happening on Earth, even from the far edge of Fair City. But Laraby must have missed something. Why would his client ditch his skateboard and dive toward another student like that?
He tapped at his 3rdi and groaned, then flung it back over his head into its holder. “Piece of junk. A 3rdi-All wouldn’t have missed anything,” he mumbled. Laraby coveted 3rdi-Alls, which were infinitely better, but were only issued to Lieutenant Fair Ones.
Frustrated, he rubbed his bald head and stepped back over jagged rocks and dust, the latter of which was always the archenemy of his pristine white robes. He pulled a controller out of his tool belt and entered some information. A small hologram screen appeared. A few more clicks and the scene he had just watched on Earth projected in front of him.
There was Holden, skateboarding through the quad, when suddenly and without reason, he flung himself off and dived straight into an unsuspecting girl. Nothing in Holden’s immediate surroundings gave any indication of potential danger. Wind, humidity, barometric pressure, fire, temperature, tectonic plates—all normal.
Laraby pulled his eyes off the screen and sighed. Today he was not in the mood. He’d been hoping to grab a small bite, and now his client’s potential injury would eat into his lunch hour. He’d have to fill out an accident report, for one thing, and Holden Wonderbolt was getting dangerously close to his limit. Another injury could very well result in a red flag for Laraby, which might then lead to a review. And although Laraby did quite enjoy Holden Wonderbolt, he had to admit the boy was a bit of a klutz.
Laraby prepared for departure. The sooner he submitted the report, the better. City Hall was becoming ever more crowded and less efficient.
Just as his propellers started to activate, a loud whirring sound made him take pause. There was nothing wrong with his equipment, as far as he could tell. No damage that he could recall, and he was always on top of the updates. But the whirring noise increased. Perhaps it was another Fair One coming to share his ob-spot. This seemed to be happening more frequently, even though he always picked the farthest, most remote sites to observe his client.
Or perhaps it was asteroid winds picking up. He’d heard talk the last time he was in City Hall that Mother Nature and her Weathers were on the brink of infiltrating the Fair Force’s protective layer again. A stronger system had been implemented since her first infiltration, but no one knew if this was enough. Mother Nature and her Weathers were becoming increasingly hostile, which meant the clients on Earth were in even more danger. Time spent filling out injury reports was precious time away from monitoring them.
Dust picked up around him. He’d washed his robes only yesterday. Annoyed, Laraby stepped out of the swirling debris but stopped when an enormous wind tunnel appeared overhead, close enough to be dangerous. With no time to protect his gear, Laraby took cover under his arms, abruptly knocking the 3rdi sideways. He yelped. A Fair One’s tools were powerful but not indestructible and once damaged, were never quite the same.
He waited for impact, but nothing happened. He peeked up at Fair Force, three of them, hovering a few meters above. Their badges were visible, and red sirens flashed over their propellers.
“Fair One lara b3. You are under arrest. Anything you think can and will be used against you. You are hereby ordered to City Hall in three minutes. Failure to do so will result in further penalty.”
“Officers,” Laraby shouted above the noise. “I think you must be mistaken.”
The Fair Force typed into a small tablet. A pocket in Laraby’s tool belt buzzed. The arrest warrant was delivered.
City Hall in three minutes? He’d never been arrested before.
“Good day,” the Fair Force nodded, before propelling upward and zooming away as fast as they had come.
“It’s lunch time,” Laraby grumbled, activating his propellers again. As soon as he felt his feet lift, he tipped his head left and started for City Hall.
THE ARTISANS MONTH9BOOKS
THE PALADINS MAY 2016
ONE SUMMER WITH AUTUMN SWOON ROMANCE 2016
