INTERVIEW WITH: Al E. Boy, Author of The Adventures of Fawn

The Adventures of Fawn

By Al E. Boy

Genre: Children's Fiction

The series is a ‘coming of age’ tale set in the year 1849. It tells of the adventures of Fawn, the precocious young daughter of legendary reindeer, Comet and Vixen. Initially, she has no friends and spends her days alone in the stable at Santa’s Village. She argues with her parents…wanting the freedom to go outside the Village to explore. But her parents forbid her to go outside by herself.

Declaring, “I don’t care how dangerous it is…I want some fun and excitement!” Fawn starts sneaking out each day. She makes friends quite readily, but just as quickly finds herself in dangerous situations.

Book 1-‘Til the Last Snowflake Falls, introduces the host of characters and finds Fawn a prisoner of a conniving sea captain intent on capturing arctic animals to sell to a New York City zoo.

In Book 2- The Ona Pendulum, Fawn and friends must stop an evil former elf princess from destroying the device which enables Santa and company to live for hundreds of years. In the process, she learns how young Kristoff Kringle went from making hand-crafted toys in his family’s workshop, to being an icon of Christmas, and leader of hundreds of elves.

In Book 3- Far And Yet So Near, a mysterious stranger gains control of Santa’s reindeer, who mindlessly march off toward destinations unknown. Fawn and her companions trail them, trying to find a way of freeing them, and encounter many dangers along the way. Santa and his wizard friend, Wajic, appear in the nick of time to save the day, but explosions suddenly catch everyone by surprise. The stranger ‘reindeer-naps’ Fawn, and she’s spirited off to England…with no way of knowing if her parents and Santa are still alive, and no way of escaping and getting back to the North Pole.

Interview:

What inspired you to write these books?

I’ve been a mall/department store Santa for 40 years. Over the course of 4 decades in the red suit and big boots, I was asked countless questions by youngsters regarding Santa, the elves, the Toy Shop, Mrs. Claus, the North Pole, the reindeer (especially Rudolph) and a myriad other things. Some were predicatable queries…while others took me by surprise. Over the years, I garnered quite a collection of stories and explanation, I’d always wanted to make them available to as many children (and even their parents) as possible. One day I hit upon the idea of employing a young reindeer and her adventures to bring my repertoire to the written page.

Do you have a favorite character, or in what ways do any of the characters represent you?

I suppose Fawn is my favourite. But…all of them have unique personalities. I like Bunny’s slightly irascible character, Snowboy’s delight in inventing words, Santa’s friendship with his wizard friend, Wajic, Doctor Mary Weather’s unflappable nature.

What surprises did you come across when writing the book?

I like how the stories generally write themselves. I often feel like a vehicle through which the adventures and dialogue make it onto the page. Many Is the time I’ve finished typing up 20 or 30 pages, and I’ve been totally surprised by the story that came about.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead characters?

Due to the fact the main characters are animals, the actors would be giving voice to the characters. For Fawn…a young reindeer…I’d have to say either Emma Watson or Kristen Bell. For Snowboy…Ben Stiller. For Bunny…Kate McKinnon.

Anything you would like to say about writing? Encouraging words for potential writers?

The age old sage advice to just keep writing is true…absolutely true! Don’t give up…and don’t worry that others don’t understand why you have to write. You anderstand why…and that’s good enough!

About the Author

Through almost 40 years as a Santa Claus, Al E. Boy developed quite a repertoire of tales to explain and answer the many questions children ask about Santa, the North Pole, his reindeer, and his friends, the elves.

It was this collection of tales which prompted him to begin writing The Adventures of Fawn. Through the young daughter of legendary reindeer Comet and Vixen, he's been able to weave an exciting, colorful, imaginative world which will delight readers of all ages!

Mr. Boy not only hopes you enjoy these tales, but make reading them part of your Christmas traditions, as well.

Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Adventures-of-Fawn-740272912731782/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NRZO920

Website: http://aleboysnowflake.wix.com/fawn

BOOK BLITZ: Ethan’s Heart By Vickie King

Ethan’s Heart

By Vickie King

Genre: Historical Romance/Western

Sheriff Ethan Blackwood is obsessed with bringing his wife’s killers to justice. A simple errand at the Cooper's Creek Bank put her in the middle of a robbery-turned-bloodbath. Ethan vows to find the outlaws, but he needs a caretaker for his two small daughters.

After killing her stepfather, an abusive, heartless man who wagered her in a poker game, Annie Benton Holt is on the run—with a weak, newborn baby. Even though she killed the man in a struggle for her own life, when her stepbrothers find out she’s killed their father they’ll be out for blood. If the law doesn’t put a noose around her neck first.

When the baby’s health forces Annie to stop in Cooper's Creek, she is befriended by the town’s doctor. Broke, homeless, and with her baby’s health unstable, the doctor proposes a marriage-of-convenience between her and his widowed brother. Annie believes this mutual arrangement is the perfect solution.

But her perfect solution has a major flaw. The doctor’s brother—and Annie’s new husband—is the sheriff of Cooper’s Creek.

About the Author

Vickie King’s new book takes her writing back to her first love: historical Western. She’s happy to present ETHAN'S HEART, the book of her own heart and the first in her new Historical Western Series, The Blackwood Brothers. She is also author of the contemporary romance series, The Braddocks. Book One, Carly’s Rule, and Book Two, Dusty’s Fate, are available in paperback and ebook.

Vickie is from a small town in West Virginia. She transplanted to Florida in 1994, and while she loves living in the sunshine state, now and then she misses watching the seasons go through their changes. If she closes her eyes, she can still imagine herself standing on the deck of her family home, staring out over the hills and valleys that will always be a part of her.

Vickie is previously published in short fiction with both romance and mystery for Woman’s World Magazine. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and a local chapter, Ancient City Romance Authors (ACRA), where she is a past president.

Vickie has four grown children, five grandchildren, and a Chihuahua named Bentley. She has the best family and friends anyone could have. Her blog, Heartstrings, features interviews with authors as well as other publishing industry professionals.

Links:

On Facebook: http://bit.ly/2e08Nk6 Website: http://vickielking.blogspot.com/ On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2giOxMa

BOOK BLITZ: How Lenin and Stalin Brainwashed Russians By Larisa Vetrova

How Lenin and Stalin Brainwashed Russians

By Larisa Vetrova

Genre: Non-Fiction Historical

Ever wished to explore the atrocious murder frenzy of the Soviet Bolsheviks?

Each of sixteen book chapters peels off, layer after layer, how the Bolsheviks mercilessly repressed their citizens leading them to a state of near-serfdom.

Our concise, easy-to-read book is illustrated with more than fifty propaganda posters or photos. At the end of each chapter, quotes from evil thinkers like Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and others have been added.

By reading it, you will build a solid foundation of the Soviet Russian era and how the Communist Bolsheviks sought to brutally impose their Utopia. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution with its aftermath had an immense impact on the Russian society and till today, has been mostly ignored or regretfully poorly covered by our Western mass media.

In this innovative book covering the period between 1917 and 1939 (two more books are in preparation spanning from 1940 till the USSR meltdown in 1991), you will read namely:

⦁ How two Russian dictators, Lenin and Josef Stalin created a Political System that murdered Millions of Innocent Russians;

⦁ How the Bolshevik Propaganda was Organized;

⦁ The Red Army and its Exactions;

⦁ The State-controlled Executioners: the Cheka and NKVD;

⦁ How botched collectivizations of Russian Farmers created large-scale famines;

⦁ The Silent Power Struggle in the Kremlin;

⦁ Stalin and the Great Purge;

⦁ And more on ceaseless tidal waves of Bolshevik Repressions.

Can you truly afford to ignore past crucial political events when nowadays widespread radical Islamic terrorism tries to impose another form of Utopia on our Western Civilization? "

Author Bio

Born in 1962 in St. Petersburg in a Nomenklatura family (my father was a Colonel in the Soviet Army in charge of the satellites launching pad of Baïkonour), I spent my youth following a mandatory schooling programme primarily geared to root in our young brains “How Beautiful and Promising” our future world would be, following Marxism Leninism ideals.

Later on, at St. Petersburg University, I earned a Masters degree in Social Psychology. I also managed in the last few years to access the official USSR archives recently opened to the public.

I quickly understood how visual and printed propaganda, though primitive and misleading, could lead to straight, profound social manipulation that led to mass assassinations of our people.

I spent most of my life in Russia till the days of Perestroika, the fall of the Berlin wall and the next ten years that saw namely a devaluation of one thousand percent of the Russian Ruble.

In 2002, I met my Belgian husband, emigrated to his country and now my heart and soul belong to Belgium.

No longer enslaved by Soviet propaganda, I decided to create a suite of three ebooks collecting the most interesting posters supported by narratives on specific Bolshevik fallacies or just straight lies. These Soviet posters will show better than any words the sad and traumatic history of my country as well as the deepest psychological problems it created among Russian citizens confronted with cold -blooded Soviet murderers.

Links: 

More on my website: russianhistory.club

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dXDxBb

BOOK BLITZ: His Wicked Lady By Sharon Drane

His Wicked Lady

By Sharon Drane

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

Book Summary

“I say, where did you find such a dress? Or should I say 'mess'?” Baron William Hargreaves, arbiter of all things fashionable, loves nothing more than firing his derisive salvos at his favorite target—Caroline Burgess, newly come to London society and the fading glory of the Ton.

Caroline will never admit she enjoys their skirmishes. Nor will she admit to the dreams he inspires, or the sensations he stirs deep inside her.

William tries to hide his growing attraction to Caroline, but as their relationship warms, Caroline outrageously accepts a role in a play—an unforgiveable profession for a lady of the Ton. Nonetheless, William cannot ignore her.

When Caroline is forced to shoot a man to death on a London street, she initiates a scandal far worse than her calling as an actress. Brokenhearted, she returns home to Philadelphia determined to leave England and her pain behind.

A blow to his own reputation overshadows William's judgment when he becomes trapped in a mockery of a marriage because of a product of a youthful indiscretion.

But where there is love, there is hope. His Wicked Lady, Book #3 in the Touch the Sky series.

Author Bio

Sharon Drane first set foot on a stage at the age of six. For the next fifty-four years she acted in productions. In her early 20s she began directing, a second career which lasted over forty years. Employed by various agencies with the State of Texas, she worked for over thirty-five years as a social worker in the field, and then as a manager of contracts. She worked first at the regional level and then was promoted to Austin and management of statewide contracts.

She began writing short stories and poetry in high school, later moving on to science fiction fanfic. During her tenure in the field of social work Sharon began writing love stories, completing two novels in spite of her hectic schedule. She retired in 2009 and moved to Florida on family business. It was here she rediscovered her love of writing. During her time in the Sunshine State, she has completed a novella and two published novels, with the third in the series due to release on December 1. Her fourth novel is currently in progress and slated to be published in 2017.

Links:

Website: http://sdraneauthor.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.drane.7?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drane_sharon

On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2HAZ75/

BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight By Ilene B. Benator

Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight
By Ilene B. Benator
Genre: Medical Psychological Thriller

An ambitious future surgeon on his psychiatry rotation is assigned a patient who reveals to him information about an organized plot to control the population. His pursuit of the truth leads him to become a psychiatric patient in the same facility.


Dan Greenberg was a promising medical student who was derailed by Catherine—a bizarre schizophrenic patient whose delusions about patients in danger at hospitals all around Chicago were startlingly specific.
Drawn by both curiosity and compassion, Dan investigates, discovering that they were exactly where Catherine said they would be. Who are these people? Why are they in danger? Are they connected with each other?


While incarcerated, he joins forces with an unlikely ally Jake—who murdered his family during a drug-induced psychotic break, but is also a charming hacker with street smarts who creates a plan to get Dan’s life back. In his attempts to do so, he threatens to uncover a conspiracy to track and manipulate the population by a cabal of influential people who will do anything to keep their plot secret. He will learn just how far powerful people will go to stay in control, and the high price of the truth.


Schizo takes readers on a wildly unexpected journey into the what-ifs of medical science. Written by an Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator crafts situations that are terrifying, yet all too believable.


My Review: 
 
Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight is a twisted psychological thriller. A medical student falls into a situation where he becomes the psychiatric patient after being accused of murder. He works the system and plots an escape with a fellow patient. The author’s professional background plays a huge part in this tale being woven in the way that it was. Complex and strange. I would read this one again. 5 stars!

EXCERPT

Chapter One
 
I have had a long time to think about my predicament. Not continuously, though, because they don’t allow me long moments of clarity. It is such a strange feeling. All of my life I’ve been pretty anal about making the right decisions. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it, actually. Now I have no choice. No freedom.

And to think I used to stress out about stupid things like the MCAT and Gross Anatomy. Every single move I made back then was a deliberate action. As a second year medical student, I was obsessed with configuring my schedule so as to optimize my third-year medical school experience. I needed to garner stellar evaluations to obtain a choice ENT residency.

The third-year clinicals were the most important. But I had a plan, as always. Start off easy in psychiatry, learn procedures in ER, gain knowledge and confidence with peds and internal medicine, then kick ass on the surgical rotation. As someone with a college degree in both biology and psychology, I thought I was amply prepared for my first clinical rotation in psychiatry.

I was wrong.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to face at the Northwest Indiana Psychiatric Institution. No one, including myself, would ever have predicted that my perfectly planned life could have gone so far off track. And certainly, no one would have guessed I’d end up as a permanent resident of the very same forensic psychiatry unit that I studied at just one year ago. But here I sit, shut away; my cries for help unanswered. Meanwhile, those responsible for my fate roam free.

Chapter Two
 
It was July first, two long years ago, when I began my initial clinical rotation on the most dangerous day of the year to come to the hospital—because it is nearly universal that all residency training programs begin their new year on that day. Essentially everyone who knew what they were doing just got promoted to do something else. And those replacing them were just winging it until they gained a little more experience.

I arrived on my first day armed with the knowledge I received from three different psychiatric texts, and a smartphone loaded with every program I could think of. I left nothing to chance. I had to succeed.

I cranked up the air in my car, as it was a typical sweltering summer day in Chicago. It’s a forty-minute drive to northwest Indiana, and I did not want to get perspiration stains on my brand-new, striped Brooks Brothers button-down shirt. The nicely pressed short white lab coat issued to me last week hung against the passenger window. No need to get any more claustrophobic than necessary with too many layers of clothes.

Thinking about that made me reflexively adjust my tie. I was still getting used to wearing one, but looking sharp and professional was the goal. I went old-school with a bright red paisley pattern—that was my first mistake of the day ... as I would soon find out.

To enter the facility, you had to pass through a security checkpoint. A tall fence with barbed wire facing inward surrounded the compound. This property was a hospital, with the trappings of a prison. The campus itself seemed pretty non-threatening. A bunch of buildings scattered about on substantial well-landscaped acreage. I spent a few minutes winding around, until I came upon the building number, per the instructions in our Student Clinicals Manual.

There was a security presence at the entrance to the building as well. Though we were issued badges that we had to wear, little attention was paid to us medical students. If you looked the part and gave the appropriate story you were ushered in without even a metal detector screening. It seemed clear that the concern was not towards those entering, but on those attempting to leave...

About the Author

A board-certified Emergency Physician, Ilene B. Benator practices in the southeast and also wrote the screenplay adaptation for Schizo, which won a Certificate of Merit in the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood Screenwriting Competition, and was finalist in two other screenwriting contests. Also, she is Associate Producer, "Flesh" (2016) Cruell World Productions; Morningstar Productions. After growing up in New York and leaving to attend Emory University for undergrad with a degree in psychology, she then went to medical school in Chicago, and returned to Atlanta to do her training; where she now resides. After her training ended, her writing career began, publishing a non-fiction book for doctors prior to this debut novel. When not working or being soccer mom to her two wonderful kids, plus two cats and one dog, she enjoys architectural photography, camping, skiing, and takes hikes in the mountains with her husband and black fluffy dog Daisy.


Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBBenator
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibbenator/ 
Website: http://www.TheSchizoSeries.com 
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dqS9sK 
On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2dGGtjl

The author is giving away Paperback & Audible copies of Schizo: Hidden in Plain Sight {2 WINNERS}

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: The DIY Musician's Radio Handbook: How To Grow Hack Your Fan Base Using Indie Radio Airplay By D Grant Smith

The DIY Musician's Radio Handbook: How To Grow Hack Your Fan Base Using Indie Radio Airplay

By D Grant Smith

Genre: Music, Self-Help, Marketing

Musicians are constantly looking for opportunities to reach new audience. Radio airplay continues to be one of the best outlets to grow your audience and reach new fans. Yet getting your music on the radio is complicated and difficult for many artists. How can you get your music heard on radio so that you can build a stronger and larger audience?

The DIY Musician's Radio Handbook illustrates a practical and thorough step-by-step process for gaining radio airplay AND building solid connections with the people who make radio happen. Jump into the mind of a radio programmer to discover what works and why to gain radio, media, and music industry success with your music.

Author D Grant Smith is not just a music marketing pro. He's the creator and host of the internationally syndicated program The Appetizer Radio Show, and a former radio station manager. In the book, you'll see why radio programmers make their picks on what music gets picked up, and how you can get your music on their radar. Discover the proven process that has helped countless musicians go from unknown and undiscovered to known and celebrated through indie radio airplay. For creative entrepreneurs outside of music, this book is also helpful in seeing how creating human connections and valuing others is the means to create growth that provides long-term benefits. Bloggers, authors, and media creators can gain insights here too.

My Review:

Having had some (not a lot) of personal first-hand experience with some of the headaches involved with self-promoting via the airwaves and over a variety of newer listener supported and commercial avenues, I could have really used this handy and unbelievably valuable handbook many years ago. This handbook is a highly detailed, informative, user-friendly, concise and well written manual in relation to wading thru the obstacles musicians find in the simple act of just being heard. This handbook is geared towards musicians, but would be a great asset to own for anybody concerned with self-promotion through communication. I give this book my highest accolade! Five stars!

About the Author

D Grant Smith is the host & creator of The Appetizer Radio Show, a syndicated variety music program that began in 2003. Over the past decade+, Smith has helped musicians get discovered & grow through indie radio airplay like Lindsay Katt, The Rocketboys, William Fitzsimmons, Kelley McRae, Birds Over Arkansas and many more. His experience with The Appetizer Radio Show's growth through syndication taught him what works in marketing media to media, which has helped to fuel his work as "the audience Growth Farmer." Using principles from Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar and community building, Smith helps musicians and creative entrepreneurs build supportive communities of superfans through relationship building. His work includes private mentoring, workshops, and speaking engagements where storytelling and empowerment are used to create vibrant and powerful transformations.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedgrantsmith

Twitter: https://wwww.twitter.com/Appetizerradio

Website: http://dgrantsmith.com/books

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eDJ6pn 
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fS9m1e

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Crushing Mediocrity: 10 Ways to Rise Above The Status Quo By Rene Banglesdorf & Lisa Copeland

Crushing Mediocrity: 10 Ways to Rise Above The Status Quo

By Rene Banglesdorf & Lisa Copeland

Genre: non-fiction, women in business

Book Description

Are you surrounded by people who are stuck in the “status quo” or satisfied with participation trophies? Is this mediocrity your new standard? Have you settled for a mundane existence, as it would appear millions of people have? Is that what you envisioned for your family, your workplace, or your community? 

The truth is, you have the option to improve your world, rise above the status quo, and crush mediocrity. With some genuine encouragement and a little guidance, you can take the first steps to making a much bigger impact, starting right where you are today. No matter your age, your circumstances, your background, or your struggles with fear and failure, you can make choices today that will transform your life and legacy into something great. 

In Crushing Mediocrity, authors René Banglesdorf and Lisa Copeland draw from their own—and others’—experiences to explore 10 tried-and-true principles you can use to improve your current situation and become extraordinary. Both Banglesdorf and Copeland have applied these very principles to their own lives and have climbed to the top of two male-dominated industries, namely aviation and automotive. This book examines the importance of knowing your purpose, owning your choices, working together, standing out and using your influence for good. It provides a clear path to rising above the status quo and crushing the standard of mediocrity across all demographics and personality types. The world is waiting for you to do something to change it. What are you waiting for?

Author Bios:

René Banglesdorf is a writer and entrepreneur with experience in the telecom, tech, retail and aviation industries. She is co-founder and CEO of Charlie Bravo Aviation, a company that buys and sells private jets and helicopters all over the world. René also sits on the President’s Council of the National Air Transportation Association and is the Vice President for Business Aviation for the International Aviation Women’s Association. She is a member of the Women Presidents Organization and a Global Ambassador for EBW (Empowering a Billion Women). René and her husband have two grown children, Jake (and his wife Kate) and Brooke, and a very spoiled American Bulldog named Bazooka. They live just north of Austin, Texas, although they still root for THE Ohio State Buckeyes.

From her platform as an automotive icon, Lisa Copeland is a speaker and visionary on igniting change in women’s lives at every level. She was named one of the Top 100 Women in Automotive News in 2015 for her work with the Fiat brand in North America and four dynamic terms on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles National Dealer Council. Lisa is active in a number of organizations that empower and educate women, including Girl Scouts, American Heart Association, and presently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of EBW. She has been married to James for 28 years and has two grown children, Allix and JT. Her grandma name is Lala, and she’s expecting another grandson in February!

Together, René and Lisa founded Crushing It Academy to provide a place where people who want to build a legacy can get real-world advice, practical insights, and access to stories and interviews of other amazing “mediocrity crushers.”

Links:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrushingItAcademy
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrushItAcademy

Website: http://crushingitacademy.com

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2d8MWYN
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ehMZCt

BOOK BLITZ: Quantum By Hannah Godard

Quantum

By Hannah Godard

Genre: Young Adult

Nothing is more glamorous than the CIA … at least for Clara. All she wants is excitement and adventure, to help people … and to be a part of something bigger than life.

At nineteen, she leaves everything she’s ever had behind to join the CIA with her boyfriend Ross. But when the agency starts to fall away like shattered glass, Clara and her team get thrown into the biggest mission ever to hit the agency. How will they deal with the pressure?

Clara has all her cards out on the table and she’s trying to keep them all in place … except she can’t hold them all down on her own. She’s trained and she’s ready … but something isn’t right. Is the real way to win the game not to play it, or is the trick not to play it for too long?

About the Author

Hannah Godard was born and raised in the small town of Cochrane, Alberta where she is currently a grade eleven student. She continues to chase a life of creativity and imagination, creating characters to take her on adventures and maybe learn something from them along the way. She writes to tell the greatest stories that have yet to be told and create a spark in which to lighten up the world. Hannah credits her dad for teaching her everything she knows about the world, from politics to drive and perseverance. Without him, she would be a very different person.

Quantum is her first novel and the first in the Quantum series. It came to life in the same way as many other novels do, in third period Social Studies class. This class was spent with three out of four of her best friends, laughing, creating businesses, and being creative. It was the one class where she could be a kid, where people didn’t tell her words could only mean one thing, and where they could all be creative. It started as a joke, as a simple question; what if I was in the CIA? From that point on Hannah developed the character of Clara, with the help of her friends, and soon the story came to life. Each person who she knows, no matter how small, is somehow put into the novel, worked into the story line, because what they say is true: we write what we know. 

Excerpt:

I’m really bored. I’ve been walking for hours around New York, without Ross, communicating with Madison and Ethan through my earpiece and getting directions from Ethan. Every once and a while he’ll tell me to go into a restaurant or walk down a certain street because he has a lead. At least we have a lead as to where they are.

I walk down the sidewalks and along the busy streets. Every once in a while, I’ll stop at a shop and look around, or buy a bottle of water. I’m guessing Ross is somewhere close to me, because every time I stop to shop he laughs at me.

“I have water in my bag . . . and so do you! You bought a water ten minutes ago and you’re not even done, why do you need another one?” Ross asks me.

“You know what? I’m trying to look casual,” I reply.

“Walking around with a bunch of half empty bottles of water isn’t casual, it’s weird.”

I ignore him and keep walking. I think I like New York more than Los Angeles. The buildings and the streets are beautiful and the people, no matter what anybody says, are probably some of the nicest I’ve met. So far, there’s no sign of the men, but we’re going to keep looking until we find them.

“Clara!” Ethan’s voice comes in.

“What?”

“Madison got a call from Lizzie. They’ve spotted the men on the corner of Lexington and 49^th. Can you get there?”

“Okay on my way,” I say.

“Me too,” Ross’s voice comes in.

I don’t pick up my pace, as not to attract attention to myself, but walk at the same pace as the men and women hustling by to go on with their daily lives. In my ear, I can hear Ethan typing and Madison talking to someone. I can also hear Ross’s footsteps against the pavement; it sounds like he’s running.

“Ross, calm down, you’re attracting attention to yourself,” I say.

“Yeah Ross, slow down a little,” Ethan says.

His footsteps slow down. My heart beats faster as I near the corner where the men were last spotted. All I can think about is Lexa. My mind races, but I try to calm myself down. I need to make rational decisions; I need to stay calm. I feel for my gun on my waist. Somehow this calms me down. Without slowing my pace, I casually walk around the corner, but they aren’t there.

“What the hell Ethan? They’re not here,” I say.

I look around and then, going around a corner, I spot blonde hair, but it’s not Ross.

“Spotted, I’m going in, track me. They’re headed down an ally, with Lexa,” I say.

I can hear everyone hold his or her breath. And then Madison reports what we found back to base. I cross the street and follow where I last saw her. Before I go down the ally, I stop and wait, trying to catch my breath. Things are about to change. If they see me, I’ll be a real agent, and my life will change forever. If I don’t kill them, they’ll have everything they’ll need on me. If I don’t succeed, they’ll kill Lexa to get back at us.

Across the street, Ross and he spots me. I look at him for a minute and he smiles. I cock my head, confused, and he nods at me.

“Go. I’ll go around and cut them off,” he says.

With that I run down the ally, I can spot them a little way down the alley and I run after them. There’s no one else in the ally so I pull out my gun. Even while I run, I can get a clean shot of one of the three men with her. I aim, and breathe out. Before I fire, three shots come from down another ally and one of the men falls. I’m guessing it’s Ross, but he doesn’t come out. It’s not like the movies; we’re on an even playing field here. I throw myself against the wall and duck as the men look around for who fired. Lexa looks terrified, and it kills me to see her this way. They run, one of the men dragging Lexa by her arm.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/citylightspress

Website: http://citylightspress.com/authors/hannah-godard/