In a world where class distinction means the
difference between imprisonment and freedom and even life and death, being
chosen to stay in the encampment and breed is the only way to guarantee
survival for a teenage Producer.
Every
year after harvest, the finest examples of teenage Producers are assigned
mates; the rest are loaded onto carts and hauled away, never to be seen or
heard from again. Trinity, a sixteen-year-old Producer, knows that she has no
chance of being chosen to stay. She isn’t even full-blooded Producer. Her
father is a House Servant and she’s spent her entire life hiding her
differences, especially her claws and fangs.
She
has one week to sneak into the forest and discover what happens to those who
are taken. Her plan is simple, but she doesn’t count on being hunted and
captured by predators long believed to be extinct. Can she elude her captors to
uncover the fate of her kind and return to camp before her escape is
discovered?
Excerpt:
She
ran blindly away from the sound of the Guards, her backpack slamming against
her spine with each stride. If they
catch my scent, they will find me. She
skidded to a stop. The forest had
ended. A rock wall loomed in front of
her, stretching to both sides as far as she could see. Little crevices and divots peppered the wall,
but it was too steep to climb. She had
to make a choice. The wrong one would
cost her freedom, maybe her life.
The
trees rustled behind her. Too late. They found me. This had all been for nothing. Now, the best she could hope for was to be
taken with the others. Her chest
tightened. She had to make sure that her
mom and Remy weren’t punished because she escaped. She raised her hands to her shoulders and
slowly turned. Her breath caught in her
throat. A Tracker, the deadliest of
predators, stood on its back two legs, towering above her, front legs hanging
down like arms. Brindle fur covered its
body and its eyes glowed yellow in the shadowed forest. Its tongue lolled out the side of its mouth,
exposing a row of sharp teeth on the other side. Someone should tell it that they no longer
exist in the wild.
Interviewer: “Trinity, you made it.”
Trinity: “Hi.”
Gaar: “I hope Mirra didn’t scare you too much.”
Interviewer: “No, uhmm, not at all.”
Mirra: “He ask Mirra questions. They stupid but they no hurt Little One.”
Trinity: “Thank you, Mirra for protecting me.”
Interviewer: “Can you tell me a little about yourself.”
Trinity: “Like what?”
Interviewer: “Anything.
Your life, your home, anything at all.”
Trinity: “I guess the thing about me that you would
find most interesting is that my mom’s a Producer and my dad’s a House Servant.”
Interviewer: “How did that affect your life?”
Trinity: “I was raised with Producers but I didn’t fit
in with them. Even though I hid my claws
and fangs, there wasn’t much that I could do about my smaller size and different
colored eyes. I wanted to live with my
father but couldn’t because he works for the Almightys and they might see the
House Servant in me.”
Interviewer: “Why would that be so bad?”
Trinity: “Interclass breeding is strictly prohibited.”
Interviewer: “Why?”
Trinity: “I don’t know. It just is.
We aren’t allowed to question the rules.”
Interviewer: “Did you have any friends?”
Trinity: “Travis, until they took him.”
Interviewer: “Who took him and where did they take him?”
Trinity: “The Almightys took him. He didn’t make the Harvest List so he was
taken away with the other Listers. I
don’t know where they take them, no one does.”
Interviewer: “What do you think happens to them?”
Trinity: “Some say they are taken to other camps to
keep our bloodlines pure. Others say
that something bad happens to them. [glances
at Gaar]. I’m going to find out what
happens to them before they can take me.”
Interviewer: “You believe that you will be a Lister?”
Trinity: “I know that I will. They only let the perfect examples of Producers stay in camp and breed. [exposes her claws] I am far from a perfect Producer.”
Mirra: “You better than others.”
Trinity: “Thank you, but I am not a very good
Producer.” [retracts her claws].
Gaar: “Mirra’s right. You’re better than the Producers. You can survive in the forest, Producers
can’t.”
Trinity: “Maybe, we should get back to the interview.”
Interviewer: “Of course.
Do you think that you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?”
Trinity: “I don’t know. I guess so.
I work hard and am kind. That’s
important to them. Mom did hope that I’d
make the List. I’m good with the soil
and plants which is why they kept her, but I don’t think that they’ll keep us
both. She’s sad that I’ll be
leaving. I’m the last of her offspring.”
Interviewer: “What impression do you make on people when
they first meet you?”
Trinity: “That’s hard.
I’ve known the Producers in camp my entire life. They don’t really like me. They sense the differences somehow. I did just meet Gaar and Mirra.”
Gaar: “We didn’t eat you so I’d say you make a good
first impression.”
Interviewer: [clears his throat] “What do you think others feel about you
after they know you for a while?”
Trinity: “Like I said, the Producers, most of them, don’t
like me. Gaar and Mirra like me but I
think I annoy Gaar a bit with all my questions.”
Gaar: “Damn House Servant in you. Never met a more curious creature.”
Interviewer: “What are you most
proud of about your life?”
Trinity: “I…I don’t know. I guess that I’d have to say that I’m proud
of how well I’m doing in the forest. My
survival lessons.”
Gaar: “Need to do better.”
Trinity: “I’m trying…”
Interviewer: “What are you most ashamed of in your life?”
Trinity: [eyes well up with tears]
Mirra: “Little One no answer you question.”
Interviewer: “Of course.
Let’s skip that one. I don’t want
to make you upset. Really. I don’t.”
Trinity: “No. [touches Mirra’s arm] I’ll answer it. I should have done something when they took
Adam for the Special List. He was only a
baby. He cried for me and Mom.”
Gaar: “There was nothing you could have done to
stop them from taking your baby brother.”
Trinity: “I should have tried.”
Gaar: “Then you’d be dead.”
Interviewer: [clears his throat again] “What are you most afraid of?”
Trinity: “Being alone.
Never finding someone…a friend, a mate, a relationship like my mom and
dad have.”
Interviewer: “Describe your ideal mate?”
Trinity: “He would be my friend. He would accept me for who I am. [exposes
claws again] He’d accept everything
about me.”
Interviewer: “Do you have anyone in mind for that role?”
Trinity: [blushes]
“No. Not really. I mean there is
someone who I met but he’s…well, it would never work between us.”
Interviewer: “Why is that?”
Trinity: “I can’t explain. What’s the next question?”
Interviewer: “What does he look like? Where did you meet?”
Trinity: “I…I can’t say.”
Mirra: [growls]
Interviewer: “Okay.
Next question. What do you
believe about Araldo (God)?”
Trinity: “Araldo is kind and loving. He looks out for us and helps us when things
are tough.”
Gaar and Mirra: [snort back a laugh]
Trinity: “You can believe in your harsh nature god,
but I believe in Araldo.”
Interviewer: “What do you suppose Araldo thinks of you?”
Trinity: “I hadn’t thought about that. I suppose he sees that I am kind. I do have a bit of a temper though.”
Gaar: “A bit?”
Trinity: “You should talk. Anyway, I don’t think he blames me for being
a mixed blood. I mean, he shouldn’t. He created me. Right?”
Interviewer: “I don’t know. What do you believe?”
Trinity: “No.
He wouldn’t be ashamed of me for being half and half.”
Interviewer: “How do you feel about your life right now
and what would you change?
Trinity: “I like living free in the forest but I don’t
like having to worry about being eaten by predators. I wish my mom, dad, Remy, Troy and Travis
could be with me out here, but safe.”
Author Bio and Links:
L.
S. O'Dea grew up the youngest of seven. She always wanted to do what her older
siblings were doing, especially reading stories.
Ill
at a young age, she immersed herself in books. Her life changed when she read a
short story written by her older brother and realized that normal (somewhat
anyway, since her brother was a bit weird in her opinion) people created these
amazing stories. From that day forward, she wanted to write.
However,
as with all good stories, obstacles rose in her path (mostly self-created obstacles)
and it took her many years to put finger to keyboard and type her first book.
The first book of the series is on sale for $0.99 until the end of
the tour.
