Friday 26 July 2013

X5: New and Improved



The book is done, sent to the publisher, and now I'm just waiting for the next round of edits, hoping that I have pleased my ninja editor. But I'm thinking positively!

And in the spirit of positive thinking, I have some treats for your reading enjoyment! Here is the new blurb for the book:

Being a socially awkward geek with anger management issues has made Travis Armstrong an outcast, but on top of that, he has visions of the future. Not that he can tell anyone, except in an anonymous online forum. When he takes a chance and meets with another group member, he winds up at The Bunker, where everyone is like him, and where, finally, he feels like he belongs.

Tara Gage has been at The Bunker since she was thirteen years old. Even among the residents there, she’s unique, and her special talents lead her to discover that The Bunker is not the safe haven it seems to be. She’s determined to escape and get back to her family.

When they each have visions of the other’s death, Travis and Tara know they have to run. With their captors desperate to get them back, they must rely on each other to get away before their visions become reality.

You may also remember a few weeks back I participated in a blog hop. Well two of the book bloggers who took part featured excerpts from the new & improved version, for which I'm very grateful. The first was Amy of Amy's Book Den, and you can read that excerpt by clicking here. The second was The Hope Chest Reviews, and that excerpt is available here.

Both of those excerpts are from my heroine's point of view. Today I have one for you that's written form the point of view of my hero, Travis. Enjoy (but please remember that it's unedited)!



"Get a grip!" Travis muttered to himself as he entered the bathroom. At the sink, he splashed some water on his face, and then gazed at his reflection in the mirror. I can do this. It was his first real chance with a girl and he didn't want to ruin it before they had the opportunity to get to know each other. He gave himself a quick pep talk, tried to think of a couple topics of conversation, and then headed back into the dining area feeling more confident.
When he slid back into the chair, Kate was on her cell phone. "Not too much longer...I know...Okay, I have to go." She turned it off and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. My mom just wanted to know how much more time she had to shop."
"No problem," Travis said. "You'll have time to finish lunch, right?"
"Yes," she replied. "I told her I'd call her. So, have you thought about university yet?"
He took a long sip of his soda before he answered her. "My dad's a prof at Columbia, so I'd get a discount on tuition there. But I need to get in first and that might not be so easy."
A crinkle appeared on her forehead. "But you said you get mostly decent grades."
"I do. Except for history. But the problem is staying out of trouble. I'm off this week because I got suspended."
"Suspended?" Her eyes went big and round. "What would you get suspended for?"
He took another drink while he thought about the best way to phrase the answer. "A guy tripped me in the cafeteria and we got into a fight. And it wasn't the first one last week." He shrugged. "The principal felt I needed the time to work on my anger management."
"Wow!" Kate said softly. "What will you do if you don't get in at Columbia?"
"Well," he said as he set his drink back down. "Maybe NYU would be a good choice. If you were here, I would already know one person." To his surprise, he actually winked at her. He was starting to relax at last, and his confidence was growing. Boldly reaching out for her hand, he said, "I would like to get to know you, better."
Her eyes widened again, but she didn't withdraw her hand. She leaned over to take a drink and he did the same, draining the last of the cup. When he set it down and looked at her again, she seemed to be studying him. Her face began to swim in and out of focus, and his head felt like it was spinning. He turned to look out the window and felt the world tilt. The last thing he remembered seeing before he blanked out was a self-satisfied smirk on Kate's face.

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