This week the YA Indie Carnival topic is to post one paragraph of a current story or work in progress. Here's an unedited paragraph from the beginning of Breaking Free. I want to introduce everyone to XJ Patterson. I hope she's tough enough to be a revolutionary leader. In the beginning, she's reluctant but she's still on a mission.
15 years later…
“We take people in for questioning who are undeniably guilty. With our monitoring technology we know immediately that they’ve broken the law. GEPs must be dealt with severely.
Dr. Herman Geiger, CAGE News Conference
Chapter 1
She had to get to Mom.
XJ Patterson made it to the open clearing in front of her home. She turned back to see classmates on the school bus gawk at the backed up traffic and CAGE cars in front of her home. They’d have more to gossip about now. She took a deep cleansing breath and shook off her aggravation. From her side vision, she saw a football player sized CAGE officer barreling towards her. She didn’t have time for this!
She gathered up her braids into a makeshift ponytail and pulled out her audio stun gun. It was illegal for GEPs to use their abilities but not to carry a weapon. They couldn’t arrest her for having it.
The stench of burned flesh filled her nostrils, and her mother’s bluish electric light danced across the clearing ahead of her.
The half white looking CAGE Officer was on top of her. “Off-spring of Dorothy Kates-Patterson, cease or be reduced.”
XJ wanted to fight back to save time but knew that using her abilities would get her in more trouble, so she shot him. He fell back, and his body shuddered.
“I just wanna see my mom. Is that too much to ask?” She yelled at the other Officers and rolled under a downed log for cover.
XJ felt a surge inside her mind. They were trying to activate the power reducing mechanism, but it wasn’t working on her. The sensation warmed, deadlier. This had a mission. They probably couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working quicker. They didn’t know that her grandfather had embedded the code inside her DNA. This was why everyone treated her so special and why she detested her life.
She closed her eyes and re-opened them. Broad shoulders came into view. She took a shot and stunned the blonde CAGE officer.
Her telekinetic abilities shuddered throughout her body. She was ready to fight. This was taking too long! Forget them finding out that the stupid power reducer didn’t work. Her unhampered abilities brought her a sense of raw power, and her world woke up.
“Launch the power reducer.” She heard in a Slavic sounding accent through a nearby headset.
Behind the officer, she saw a branch wrapped in kudzu hanging from a tall tree. She focused her mind and forced the branch to swing and smash into the CAGE officer’s wide neck. It hit his kill switch. His brown eyes looked shocked as he buckled under like a fallen giant.
“Finally! Three down.” She got up and took off.
Breaking Free will be available February 2012. I can't wait for everyone to read it.
Take a look at the other members of the YA Indie Book Carnival. I'm hoping to stop by and see what they have cooking up.
Danny Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, and The Diamond City Trilogy.
Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
Wren Emerson Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
Laura Elliott Author of Winnemucca.
Nichole A. Williams Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
Amy Maurer Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms.
T. R. Graves T.R. Graves: Author of Warriors of the Cross.
Cyndi Tefft Author of Between
P.J. Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
Heather Cashman Author of Perception.
