Book Excerpt: Wicked Fate

Remember when we did the cover reveal and the author interview couple weeks back??

What if you lived in fear of yourself?

 For Mage McPherson being afraid of herself is just the norm. Thanks to that fear, being a loner in a small town never bothered the mysterious Mage. Once she received her secret abilities, she figured being alone was the safest way to be. That all changes during her sophomore year at Summerville High when Adam, her equally mysterious secret crush, starts to notice her.

 Afraid that she might harm Adam, Mage must learn to either control or deny herself. With Adam by her side she's more powerful than she’s ever been, but is she powerful enough to defeat her worst nightmare? She learns a hard lesson about love and magic when her destiny comes to collect.

Well, here is a book excerpt too....

1. The next day at school, everyone’s talking about the unique weather and how the weather man can’t explain the strange phenomenon. Weather professionals from all over the United States have come to Summerville to be a part of what’s now called “The North Pole of the South.”

They can’t figure out how it’s happening. How in Summerville there’s snow, ice, and fifteen-degree weather. Yet in Charleston, twenty minutes down the road, there’s breeze, sunshine, and seventy-degree weather.

I’m staring into my locker trying to figure out how to make it stop. I hate that I can’t change the weather, that I can’t make this cold lonesome feeling go away. I throw books in and pull books out, and then I feel someone behind me. I know who it is without even looking. His warmth spreads through me and for a minute I feel like nothing’s changed. The feeling quickly disappears when he turns and walks away. I turn around in time to see Adam walk around the corner without looking back.

Gym flies by in a daze; Bernie asks me several times if I’m okay.

“I’m okay. I think I’m getting sick or something,” I shrug.

The quick peek I get of him in the hallway is the only time I see Adam today. He didn’t come to lunch and he doesn’t show up to history either. Even though technically I see him in school most days, I still miss him so much. Somehow, the empty desk next to me makes it worse.

I agree to let Bernie give me a ride home from school. We walk through the parking lot towards her car, stopping every now and again for her to talk to someone. She’s become quite the Social Sally in the last couple of weeks. I think it has something to do with the relationship between her and Kale.

When we get to Bernie’s car, which is parked closest to the trees, I wait as she digs through her book bag searching for her car keys. I can feel Adam’s gaze penetrating my skin. I look over to where his truck is usually parked and he’s there. He’s leaning against the driver’s side, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares back at me. He looks pissed off and mad at the world. Good! Join the crowd, punk!

That’s when I hear it, a loud popping and cracking noise. I turn my head quickly to the noise and I notice that a huge pine tree that’s draped over Bernie’s car is frozen solid. Long sharp icicles hang from it, waiting to drop at any second. One of the large branches looks like it’s about to break off and that branch is covered in the largest and sharpest of the icicles—it’s right above Bernie’s head.

 An icicle breaks off and darts straight towards Bernie’s car crashing into it before I can stop it. I jump back and Bernie screams as she falls onto her back. Before she has a chance to move another sharp icicle heads straight towards her followed by the entire tree branch—it’s the size of a small tree.

I react quickly without a thought for the people surrounding me. I lift my hand to the falling objects; I feel a small sting when the now invisible fire leaves my fingertips. I don’t even feel the fire anymore, not since I started using my magic every day.

The falling objects stop abruptly and sit, floating in mid air for a second or so. I quickly fling my arm towards the woods; the huge tree branch along with four sharp icicles fly into the woods.

 I drop my hand quickly praying that no one saw what I’d done. I’m on the outer edge of a packed parking lot full of people who already think I’m odd. The last thing I need right now is for those exact same people to see me do what I just did.

2. When I’m doing homework, reading journals, or relaxing in the gardens, I wonder to myself if Adam misses me as much as I miss him.

My answer arrives a few days later. It’s Saturday and, of course, I’m in the library with Thaddeus. I hear a loud knock at the door. There’s a little man at the door with a bouquet of pink camellias and red carnations. It’s a strange looking bouquet.

I sign a delivery confirmation and then I take the flowers. The delivery man also hands me a gift. It’s wrapped in purple and silver wrapping paper. I can tell by looking at it that it’s a book of some sort. I can also tell by the wrapping paper that it’s from Adam. He’s the only person who cared enough at one point to know my favorite color. Anything he’s sent from that point on was either purple or wrapped in purple.

I thank the delivery man and sit on the closest couch in the front living room. I lift the flowers and breathe them in. I feel my heart constrict with the thought that Adam might actually be thinking about me.

I sit the flowers down on the couch beside me and begin to rip at the wrapping paper on the gift. It’s a book, a strange looking old book. The book’s called The Language of Flowers. I flip through a few pages and realize right away the subject content of the book. It’s a listing of different flowers and what they mean. Adam’s trying to communicate with me the only way he knows how without having to worry about breaking his deal with Eris.

I quickly flip through the book to the page with camellias and carnations on it. When I read what’s on the page I clasp the book to my chest and breathe deeply. It feels so good to know what Adam’s really thinking. I look at the page of the book once more.

           

Camellia (Pink) = Longing for you…

Carnation (Red) = My heart aches for you…

His heart aches for me! He misses me too! My thoughts are going crazy. Should I go to him or should I just take this for what it is and leave it be?

 I wanted nothing more than to run to his house and throw my arms around him. I miss him so much and to know that he misses me too is enough to make me float. I pick up my flowers and hold them to my nose to smell them once more.

Here's the last post from the beginning of the month: http://splashofourworlds.blogspot.com/2012/11/cover-reveal-wicked-fate-author.html

So what do you think of the book??