RB – Thoughts on Posting Part 1 of My Novel

Hey all! It's been a few weeks now since I finished up posting the preview chapters for Part 1 of my work-in-progress novel Outcasts & Runaways. I have to say, there were some definite positives to the experience! One of the primary positives was viewing my work from the perspective of actively sharing it with …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 2.1

Beginning<– Previous PART 2 - WORLDS COLLIDE Chapter 18 – Earth Jenny screamed, and something shiny and pink slithered instinctively over her arm. Shannon zoomed by in a white flash, snatching another two darts out of the air as a host of guards poured into view yelling and waving tranq rifles. More guards raced to …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.16

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 15 - Thera Barrenger raced through endless hallways, but each one held a mirror. He would turn a corner as soon as he saw one, but there was another, and another, and another. All of them were his face – or were they his father’s? Or Salein’s? Or some other Rukilef he …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.15

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 14 – Earth, Four Months AgoThe Plea At first, Jenny was uncomfortable around anyone but Dr. Thomas; the way she brightened when he came for her made Mercury feel ill. He had been the only scientist allowed to work with Jenny so far, which Mercury grudgingly admitted was a blessing. But over …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.14

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 13 - Thera When you can jump thirty feet at a time and land with no force of impact, roof-hopping is a breeze. Unfortunately, Barrenger’s partner in his mission did not have this advantage. Barrenger stopped at the edge of another rooftop halfway to the city wall, waiting for Samlin to leap …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.13

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 12 - Earth, Five Months Ago The Secret Mercury was getting good at keeping secrets. The fact still felt strange to her; she’d always seen herself as a pretty open person, before. But the nightmare in which she lived, a nightmare of alternating painful horror and soul-deadening living conditions, required that she …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.12

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 11 - Thera Time crawled as Barrenger waited for night, prowling the hallways of his home, avoiding the suspicious stares of the temple guard and the worried whispers of the house staff. Marta was gone most of the day, no doubt up at the temple chewing the ears off the High Council. …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.10

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 9 - Thera Something woke Barrenger, leaving him blinking in the dark. A tap on the chargestone timepiece on his bedside table showed that it was an hour until dawn. What had made him wake up? He almost turned over to go back to sleep when he heard it again, more clearly …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.9

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 8 - Earth, One Year Six Months Ago The Shifter Subject 2A didn’t give 1A the satisfaction of reacting when 1A paired him with the new Subject again. Once the oldest of the Subjects, 1A had grown even more temperamental and jealous than usual since the slightly older Subject 6A joined their …

Outcasts & Runaways – Part 1.7

Beginning<– PreviousNext–> Chapter 6 - Earth, One Year Nine Months Ago The Spark Five curled up tightly behind the bookshelf, clutching the colorful, glossy pages in his hands and scanning the pictures hungrily. He had to finish before they got here. “Subject 5A! You will come out and return that contraband or face serious repercussions!” …