Writing Again

Writing again today. 1st time in months and months. Charlie's story is now at 136 pages and 44,000 words. I will finish it this year!

Until then, keep your reads dark & dreamy!

Love,

C. C.

Back in Action!

Charlie and I are attempting to come out of obscurity today. I am at my first appearance in years. With absolutely no net, I am at a school administrator conference, and my heart is pounding. 

I really was not ready for the amount of people, but I’m breathing through it. It feels scary and exciting, but it gives me hope I can get back to my passion!

I have been working on Charlie’s great escape, and I would be lying if I didn’t say that I am a little nervous about where the story is going. Can’t wait to run it by some readers. Let me know if you might be interested in becoming a beta reader. 

I am also developing a new series in a whole new world  be on the lookout for Lena, a girl with a curse that must be broken!

Until then, keep your reads dark and dreamy!

Love,

C. C.

Nice Days of November 2020

Life isn't so bad suddenly.

Charlie is almost free.

Lazy Days of Summer $250 Cash Giveaway!

Lazy Days of Summer

$250 Cash Giveaway

July 6th to 26th

An Awesome Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com Gift Code! Sponsor List – Thanks to these great authors & bloggers for making this giveaway possible! I Am A Reader Krysten Lindsay Hager author Simple Wyrdings Heather Gray, Author Bookworm Lisa B. Kristin McMichael Rachel Matthews, Author of cozy, sweet reads Kindle and Me Everly Frost, YA Author Cool Cats Mysteries Helen Smith Laurisa White Reyes, Author Dark and Dreamy with C. C. Marks Dawn Malone Author Nikki Jefford Aubrey Wynne: Romantasy Through the Ages Mary Ting/M. Clarke Confessions of a Frugal Mind AuggieTalk Darcus @ Rainy Days and Pajamas Lori's Reading Corner Glistering Bs Blog The Lovely Books J.C. Whyte, author Gigi McAllister@ The Late Bloomer's Book Blog Bonnie Blythe Faith-Based Romance Bella Street Time Travel Romance Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More Beth M. Honeycutt Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash (alternately the winner can choose a $250 Amazon.com Gift Code) Ends 7/26/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Covers for the Mercy Series!

New digs in the #mercyverse! Check 'em out.

Pot o Gold Giveaway--Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

The Pot o' Gold Giveaway Hop is Coming – All Day on St. Patrick's Day!

19 amazing authors have come together to give away $100 in gift cards to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, & Starbucks – plus eBooks, swag, and even more great prizes!

Just visit any of the following Facebook pages from midnight to midnight, Eastern time on Thursday, March 17th. Then hop to the next author on the list for more chances to WIN!

Jordan Ford

Martina Dalton

Micalea Smeltzer

Regina Bartley

Alexia Purdy

Vanessa Marie

Sydney Logan

M. Louisa Locke

Debra Holland

Belle Ward

C. C. Marks

Brenda Hiatt

Magan Vernon

Karen Amanda Hooper

K. B. Hoyle

Brenda Beem

Evie Harper

Lauren & Devon Royal

T.M. Franklin

Don't forget to give the pages a LIKE – and check out their books. You might find your next great read!

Dreaming of Cash $250 Giveaway

Dreaming of Cash $250 Giveaway An Awesome Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com eGift Code! Sponsor List – Thanks to these awesome bloggers & authors for sponsoring this giveaway!!

Sponsor List I Am A Reader
Melissa M. Frye
Here We Go Again...Ready?
Unshelfish
Heather Gray, Author
The YA Gal
Auggie @ AuggieTalk
Jenna Lyn Field
Kimberly Krey
Lori's Reading Corner
Simple Wyrdings
Hidden World Books
Author Inger Iversen
Melanie McFarlane Books
Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Suzi Love
Rockin' Book Reviews
Author Georgina Young-Ellis
Author Ednah Walters
Author D.E. Haggerty
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More
Author Cindy C Bennett
Krysten Lindsay Hager author
Literary Winner
Mia Siegert, Author
The Page Unbound
Glistering Bs Blog
Bonnie Blythe Pure Romance
Bella Street's Time Travel Romance
The Book Referees
Author Wendi Sotis
Nikki Jefford
Author A. Gardner
Dark and Dreamy With C. C. Marks
Diana's Book Reviews
Author Joy Penny

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 1/30/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or who can redeem an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming September 19th!

Watch out for those authors coming out of their writing caves!

END OF MERCY is Finally Here!

The third book in The Mercy Series is available today. It will be my first three-book series, and to say this is a milestone for me is nothing but unbelievable, shout-it-out-loud, hot-cross amazingbuns. Like all the stories I've written, I'm very proud of this book, and I can't wait for others to finally see it.

Anyway, I wanted to share this milestone with the readers I've come to know through all my crazy book adventures. Thank you, all, for making a life-long dream a reality.

Happy Reading!!!

END OF MERCY is Coming!!

For those of you who haven't seen the cover of the book, here it is!

End of Mercy is officially up for pre-order at Amazon.  The release date is July 14th, and I'm excited! My goal is to get it up for pre-order at the other retailers too, but that might be later this week. Anyway, here is a short excerpt from the book:

“Come in.”  The two words were short and impatient, and I didn’t have confidence she would be glad to see me again.  Regardless, he twisted the knob and stepped inside and I followed, dragging my feet the whole way.

It took me a minute to spot her by the large, picture window.  I hadn’t really noticed it last time I was here because curtains clearly covered it usually, but she had them pulled back currently and was sitting on the narrow ledge, staring down to the area below.  I didn’t know at what she might be looking, but that window faced the inner walls of the square the hospital formed.  Whatever was down there, was inside the facility.

She didn’t even turn around as she addressed us.  “So close to the endgame.  We can’t stop now.  Am I right?”

Ben didn’t acknowledge her rambling.  Instead, he gripped my arm again and said, “I found Charlie in the third floor test subject corridor.  She had a key…she knows who’s in there.”

            Dr. Drake’s breath released heavily and created a moisture cloud on the window in front of her.  I watched it fade as she explained, “It was bound to happen sometime.  Kind of surprised it took her so long.”

More to Come!

Happy Reading!

C. C. 

Multi-Author Book Signing Near Cincinnati Today!!!!

Having a fantastic time at #RAGT15! The signing starts at 3:00 and is open to the public. More info here: http://readerauthorgettogether.com/

Looks Like A Great Read and There's a Giveaway!

Jack Templar and the Lord of the Demons (The Templar Chronicles #5). With two of the Jerusalem Stones in hand, Jack and his friends must race the clock to find the remaining Stones as Ren Lucre's Creach forces gather strength. With two of their group now with Creach blood flowing in their veins, the team will be tested as never before. They must unite together if they have any hope of surviving their journey to the Underworld and their battle with the vicious Lord of the Demons. The fate of the entire world hangs in the balance.

Pre-order Your Copy Now!

Amazon

Author Jeff Gunhus Jeff Gunhus is the author of the Amazon bestselling supernatural thriller, Night Chill, and the Middle Grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book of the series, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His book Reaching Your Reluctant Reader has helped hundreds of parents create avid readers. Killer Within is his second novel for adults. As a father of five, he and his wife Nicole spend most of their time chasing kids and taking advantage of living in the great state of Maryland. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel. If you see him there, sit down and have a cup of coffee with him. You just might end up in his next novel.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

  $25 Cover Reveal Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/15/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Places I'll Be This Year--Come Say Hi!

Sweet, sweet potatoes and peas, I'm going to be on the road some this year.  And it will be a fab-tabulous time to meet the readers who make my day on a regular basis with e-mails, Facebook LIKE's, Tweets, and all the other ways they reach out.

I'm not going too far from home this time around, but if you're anywhere near these places, feel free to stop by my table and say hey:

Lori Foster's Reader Author Get Together is an event where readers and authors can...well...get together and talk books, books, and more books. I'll have a table set up where I'll sign books June 5, 3:00-5:00 P.M.

Crikettes Bookshelf and Kickback and Relax Book Reviews Blog is hosting the first annual River City Book Bash in Cincinnati, Ohio. Date is set for July 25th, 2015. I'll be signing multiple books from 12:00 to 3:00.

Book signing with multiple authors at The Louisville Palace Theater on Saturday, September 19, 2015 from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Hope I get the chance to meet some of you in person.

Happy Reading and Writing,

C. C.

Sneaky Peeky of End of Mercy

Making progress peeps!  Here's one of my fave parts so far and a hint about a big risk I'm taking with this book.  Keep in mind, this is completely un-edited, so don't hold it against me!:

“These skinny mongrels are the forest firebugs?”  I looked into the hard, coal-black eyes of the man in front of me and knew he was the one in charge of all this.  He had short, brown hair that sat perfectly on his head.  His clothes were clean and his face shaven.  This was the face of the organization.  This was their Jonas, and I hated him on sight.

“We found them trying to steal one of the trucks, Harold.”

Harold stared in silence for a while before asking, “What should we do with them?”

Since no one answered, I figured he was thinking out loud.  Right now, I was watching his every move and picking up on the dynamics of the group.  The two guards were following orders and trying to impress Harold, but if he were as smart as I thought he was, we’d be able to deal with him.

“Names?”

I responded though it made my insides itch to do it, “I’m Thomas.  He’s Peter.”

“Where did you two come from?”

Peter spoke through gritted teeth, “Ain’t going to tell you.”

His reaction was a little dramatic, but I could use it.  “Come on, Pete.  These guys are obviously smart.  They’ll get the information out of us one way or another.  Might as well play along.”

True to his role, Peter looked at me like I’d lost my mind.  By now though, he knew me well enough to know I was working to get the upper hand.  “You’re just going to tell them?”

“What’s it hurt for them to know?”  I sighed loudly.  “We were in a school building over that ridge.  There are still some people there, and they need medical attention.  We were only going to borrow the truck to get them to Mercy.  We planned to bring it back.  I swear.”

Harold nodded.  I could see the plots developing in his eyes.  “You’d be better off letting them to die than taking them to Mercy.  That place is a deathtrap.”

“We can’t just leave them.  They need help.”

“I’ll send a group out to locate them and transport them here.  We’ll take care of all of you.”

I knew just how he planned to take care of us.  He’d use everyone he found and us for his little operation here.  I’d given him exactly what he’d needed—more bait—and he’d given Peter and me a stay of execution…at least for a little while.

“Take them inside.  Put them in the room above the stairs.  Once their people are here, we’ll get everything settled.”

As the two guards pushed us toward the side door of the warehouse, Harold walked off in another direction.  Going to send some of his men out to find the non-existent people holed up in a non-existent school, giving Peter and me an advantage.

Peter whispered to me low, “Hope you know what you’re doing.”

I wanted to reassure him, but I also needed to keep things real.  “Me too, dude.  We might need a little luck to get out of this completely, but I think I bought us some time.”

The room at the top of the stairs was barely bigger than a closet.  Some kind of office at one time, it had windows on all but one of the four walls, but they’d been blacked out with paint.  That meant we’d have trouble keeping an eye on those below us, which I intended to do.  The minute we got an opportunity, we were taking it.  We’d get the truck and get out of here.  I was determined, and often that’s all it took.  A little sweat equity went a long way.  At least that’s what my father used to tell me.  I just hoped he was still on our side when we got back.  Just hoped the community was still standing by the time we were finally out of this mess.

They’d left us tied up, our hands behind our backs, but this world was full of sharp edges.  You just had to know where to look.  Sure enough, a filing cabinet in the corner was dented pretty badly—to the point that a jagged edge stood out from the rest.

I signaled with a few nods of my head in its direction.  “There’s how we’ll get these damn ropes off.”

A little time and effort later and my hands were free.  It took a little longer for Peter, but to give him credit, you had to stand at an awkward angle, backwards to reach the edge.  Not to mention how many times I scraped my wrists instead of the ropes against that same edge.  But we were free from that nuisance, and I felt a feral smile form on my lips.  This could be simpler than I’d expected.  These people weren’t exactly criminal masterminds.  Just survivors like the rest of us, but they didn’t have a mission they couldn’t fail at, like I did.  For my goal, I was willing to do whatever it took, whether I had to fight one man or a thousand, I had no other option but to achieve my aim.  Too many were counting on me.  Charlie was counting on me.

I approached the window that faced the large open area of the warehouse below this office and scratched at the paint on the window until I had cleared a small spot I could see through.  It remained slightly blurred, but beneath us, I could see three men standing in a tight circle, talking to each other.  They seemed to be the only ones in the whole place.

After a few minutes, their heads turned in unison, as if they’d all heard something at the same time.  With no more hesitation, they all rushed toward the door to the outside.

“Now’s our chance.  Come on.”  I motioned to Peter and was at the door in three strides, but paused as the handle began to jiggle from someone on the other side of it.

I held my hand up and stepped to the side, motioning for Peter to do the same, so that when the door opened, we’d be hidden behind the door.  I grabbed an object from the nearby desk, barely looking at the hard, plastic stapler, but gripping it tight in my fist, ready to use it as a makeshift weapon, though I knew it would do very little damage, but it might slow down whoever was coming through that door long enough to push them out of the way and run.

The lock clicked and the doorknob turned.  I raised the pitiful stapler above my head, ready to crash it down or throw it directly at the person on the other side of the door.  Yet, the minute I saw the owl-eyed face searching the room, I lowered my improvised weapon and stepped out, curious to see the kid from the truck standing just inside the doorframe.

His gaze finally landed on me, and a determined look covered his features.  “We don’t have much time.”

Though the statement was meant to prod us into action, it had just the opposite effect.  Peter eased up beside me, his face a study in confusion, the way I thought I probably looked as well.

Peter spoke first, “What do you mean?  Time for what?”

“To get out of here.  They’ll be back soon.”

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know if I could trust this runt any further than I could throw him, but I asked, “You’re willing to help us?”

“I’ll help you if you’ll help me.”

Always a catch.  “We aren’t leaving without the truck.”

He pulled something from his pocket and jangled it in the air.  A grin stretched across his face.  “Now, will you help me?”

“What do you need us to do?”  Peter asked.

He pursed his lips tightly as if holding back bad news, but his eyes hardened again as if he’d crossed a line and could never go back.  “I need help getting my brother free, and then I need you to take us with you.”

I stared at him thoughtfully.  We didn’t need two more bodies slowing us down, but he showed himself to be useful twice now.  Once in giving us a chance to escape and the other in getting the keys to the truck.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“People call me Snap.”

Peter’s face screwed up tight.  “What kind of name is that?”

He jangled the keys again.  “They call me that because I can get things others can’t, and I can do it quickly.”

Satisfied, I nodded.  “Well, I’m Thomas and this is Peter.  Lead the way, Snap.  Let’s go find your brother.”


Hope you enjoyed!  Happy reading!

C. C.

Who R U Really? by Margo Kelly

Who R U Really? by Margo Kelly Thea's overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends. Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of control.

Excerpt

When Tim’s eyes, bluer than an Idaho sky, met mine, my mind turned to mush. He towered
above everyone else at the bus stop, and on this cold January morning he looked cuter than ever with his bomber hat and rosy cheeks. He shoved his sidekick, Josh, jokingly, and a cloud of white air escaped Tim’s mouth.

My best friend, Janie, whacked me on the hip. “Omigosh, Thea. Here they come. Smile.”
Her words bounced in rhythm with her black ringlets. She adjusted her new fluffy snow white
parka, and even though it had a hood, she would never smash her perfect curls simply to stay warm. The crisp air made the tip of her nose red, but the rest of her face remained alabaster white. We’d been best friends for years, and at fourteen, having a friend made the ninth grade bearable.

Janie hoped Josh and Tim would ask us to the Winter Solstice dance, but I just hoped to speak to Tim without sounding like a complete idiot. Tim walked in our direction with Josh right on his heels. They stopped in front of us, and everyone else hovered to watch the show.

“Thea,” Tim said. I wanted to reply, but no words came.

Josh approached Janie, and I fidgeted with my favorite fuzzy pink scarf.

“Jan-eee,” Josh said, dragging out the last syllable of her name. He eyed her up and
down. “You look like a giant fat marshmallow.”

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

The Book Depository * Merit Press

  Praise for the book: "Kelly's first novel is a suspenseful page-turner with multiple suspects, a little bit of romance, and a strong but not overbearing message." --Kirkus Reviews "Suspenseful novel that's guaranteed to give readers goosebumps--particularly as events heat up toward the end. A good choice for families to read together." --School Library Journal "Who R U Really? is a fantastically creepy book that is surprisingly realistic and totally engrossing.... Once I opened it, I couldn't close it. Who R U Really is a satisfyingly unique YA thriller that left me guessing up until almost the very last page.... This book is very realistic and I really enjoyed the writing style." --Tempest Books "Based on actual events, the story should be required reading for all teens." --VOYA Magazine  

Blog Tour Schedule

Author Margo Kelly Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margo welcomes the opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway 1 print copy of Who Are U Really? Open to US only Ends 1/12/15 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dystopian Giveaway Hop Happening Here!

Welcome! So glad you decided to stop here and have a little fun and hopefully get some good books to add to the TBR list.  Feel free to have a look around and don't forget to enter to win one of three e-copies of the Mercy Series Boxset.  This includes the first two books in the Mercy Series, plus a bonus short story from another character's perspective.  Filled with suspense, danger, and a strong heroine willing to take it all on, it's a series you won't want to put down.


All you have to do is take a look at the Rafflecopter and click on the entries you want to do.  (And YES, I can do international!) It's just that easy!  And don't forget to head back to one of the main sites to check out all the great giveaways. Click one of the following links to take you back to the linky list: My Shelf Confessions or iamareader

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Making Progress!

I'm 9,000 words into End of Mercy, which doesn't sound like much, but the story is flowing nicely. Everything is on target to be finished and published at the beginning of November. I can't wait to share this story. I believe readers will be surprised and excited with the direction the story is going. I can't wait to show everyone the amazing cover.

Just to give a little taste, here's a snippet:

            For once in my crazy existence, I’d like to walk away from a situation, instead of sprinting for my life.  Clearly…not…gonna…happen…today…Charlie.

            I ran down the hallway like fire already blazed behind me.  Thanks to someone acting before thinking, the whole world of Mercy was about to come tumbling down any minute, and I had only seconds to get freaking gone. 

Fortunately, I didn’t have Star.  I’d sent her ahead, knowing things could get ugly real fast, and sure enough, they were about to.

The first explosion sounded behind me and I heard and felt the pieces of concrete and glass flying through the air around me.  I stumbled forward as the force of the blast hit me from behind, followed by a wave of intense heat that singed my exposed skin.  My ears began ringing, but whether from the sound of the detonation or from the stress of the situation, I wasn’t sure.  Didn’t matter anyway.  I needed to get through the door at the end of the hallway before the next explosion discharged.  It would trigger the rest of the ignitions and everything would go the way of the dinosaur.

Just as I felt the rumbling beginnings of the blast, I flung my grasp at the handle of the door and barely noticed the warmth of the metal before swinging the door wide and throwing myself through it, pulling it closed just in time to hear the whole world explode in a fiery ball of destruction behind me.

I didn’t pause to watch it long though.  Instead taking the stairs two at a time, flight after flight, until my chest ached with each labored breath.  I looked up to see a large number three on the side of the wall next to the door, worn but still clear.  I yanked open the door and sprinted down the darkened hall, picturing each turn I needed to take exactly to get where I was going.

After two right turns, I stopped in front of a large, steel door and rested both hands on the cool surface as I hung my head and worked to catch my ragged breaths.  Each pull of air into my lungs burned, but it wasn’t enough to stop me for long.

Movement on the other side brought me back to reality.  Time was limited, and I wanted free of Mercy and all its horrors.

I shook my head and worked the keys from my pocket.  “Gretchen?  I’m here for you.”

“Charlie?”

“Yeah.  I’ve got the key to get you out.”

Her voice seemed so small and confused as she asked, “Why?  Why did you come back for me?  You don’t…you don’t even like me.”

Why did I come back for her?  She might be a first-class, pruny-faced beyotch, but leaving her had never been an option.  Not when there were no other people in the world like us.  It would be like killing the only other unicorn in a mythical forest.  “Don’t know.  Maybe I just can’t leave knowing you had the last word.”

EDGE OF MERCY is FREE

You can get EDGE OF MERCY free at all the major e-tailers.  END OF MERCY is coming soon, so if you've been considering giving the series a try, now might be a good time.

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO

A Favorite Character Comes to Life

So, I was trying to write a flash fiction story, but I don't do well writing short, so it turned into a story for Snap, one of the favorite characters from Heart of Mercy.  It's still in progress, but I like what it reveals about the world of Mercy.  Here's the world according to Snap:

                I gritted my teeth.  Pinch twisted my shirt and lifted me to my toes, giving me a hard shake.  “Where’ve you been, you little piss ant?”

                “Looking for bait.  Like you told me.”

                “Didn’t see you with the others.”

                And he never would.  I wasn’t like the others.  Plus, I had my own mission which didn’t include finding the few living people to use as bait for the Draghoul, to bring them close enough to allow hunters to lop off their heads in the light of the moon.  Not my priority, but I couldn’t let Pinch know that.  The plan was to play it cool right now.  “Don’t get along with them.”

                “Of course you don’t, Snap.  This ain’t no summer camp.  It’s business.”  No one here knew my real name was Gabriel, and that’s how I liked it.  I earned the name Snap because of a knack for finding things people wanted and needed, like in a snap of the fingers.  But that wasn’t really my job. 

He sneered at the unoccupied trail behind me.  “Looks like you came up empty-handed again, boy.  Losing your touch.”  He clicked his tongue and shook his head.  “Better start producing again or that little brother of yours might have to be used instead.”

Anger crawled over me like a giant spider, gnashing its fangs, ready to strike.  What I wouldn’t give to be able to put Pinch on the ground, in the dirt where he belonged.  But he was older, twice as big, and had Doc on his side.  They knew I’d do anything for my brother.  After all, I’d made promises to my mother that had to be kept, and though I was only twelve, I was the only protector my brother had left.

Pinch loosened his hold on my shirtfront and with a look up at the fading light of the sun, took a step backward.  “Still time.  Get back out there and bring a piece of bait to us for tomorrow night’s hunt.”

“Go back out?  Now?”

Pinch rested his hands on his hips and shifted his feet before smirking in my face.  “Or we could send your brother out in your place.”

His breath smelled like rotting remains, and I wanted so badly just to lay my hands on him and push him out of my personal space.  Soon…very soon.

Instead, I shrugged as if his words didn’t affect me in the least.  “I’ll go, but then by the time I get back, you’ll be too busy to enjoy what I found when I was out earlier.”  I turned to walk away, back into The Dead Forest.

“Wait.  What do you have?”

I shook my head.  “I don’t know.  You’ve made a lot of threats.”  He swiped at me, but I ducked and shifted out of his reach.

“Tell me what you found.”

With a slow nod, I pulled off my backpack and lowered it to the ground.  Just as I knew he would, Pinch grabbed at the pack, lifting it, yanking it open, and gazing inside.  I knew what he’d find.  A couple comic books, a can of beans, an old handheld game system that no longer worked, and the thing I knew he couldn’t resist.  I’d found a large amount of cash, which I’d grabbed with Pinch in mind.  Pretty much meaningless here, but he didn’t plan to be here forever.  Bragged all the time that he knew someone that would take him to Mercy for the right price.  Wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see him go.  And I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the sight in the bottom of my bag.

By his humorless laugh, I knew he’d discovered it in the deep side pocket.  It wasn’t until I heard the pop of the metal trap closing over his hand that I grabbed the bag, the keys from his belt, and shoved him into the bushes behind him.  He held up his right hand in disbelief.  A mousetrap held his fingers in a vice-grip.  As he stumbled backward, he dropped completely out of sight, falling with a high-pitched scream.

Carefully, I picked my way through the overgrown brush of the forest and looked down into the deep hole usually reserved for the humans we used as bait.  Charlie Little, the girl who looked like a boy and helped me achieve one of my goals, had shown me that treating people like that was wrong.  She was long gone now, but against her own need for protection, she’d pulled my Draghoul mother from the depths of a pond and helped me put her out of her misery.  Her courage had given me my own courage to find a way to get my brother and escape the Factory and all its horrible acts against the last living humans.

“You little…I’ll feed your brother to the monsters myself!”  He cursed me a few more times, and even though he deserved what was sure to happen to him, I hated to leave anyone in such a vulnerable position.  He wouldn’t last the night and would soon leave this place.  Just not in the way he’d planned.

“As I see it, you’ll never have power over my brother or me again.”  He quieted.

An evil grin slid onto his face.  “Don’t worry about me.  I know how to take care of myself.”  He pulled a knife from one of his boots and another from his belt.  They would help him survive the first few Draghoul, but he’d never overcome a whole hoard, even with weapons.

Then he surprised me completely by shoving one of the knives deep in the side of the hole, high above his head.  When he slammed the other knife in and used his feet to brace himself as he climbed up the hole, I scrambled backward.  It was time to go.  Now!

Without another look behind me, I ran toward the Factory.  I knew exactly where they kept my brother, and I had a hiding place prepared for us, but I had to reach him before Pinch got free.  A look at the sky reminded me the sun wouldn’t stay above the horizon much longer either, and then things were going to be all teeth and claws and no guarantees.

Happy Reading!

C. C. Marks

Here it is: The Opening Scene from End of Mercy

I have been remiss.  Another project has kept me wrapped up, but it is nearing the end.  So, I'm going to begin posting un-edited (please, keep that in mind) excerpts of my progress on End of Mercy.  Oh, and did I mention there will be a cover reveal!  So excited about that.  Trust me, it's another great cover by LFD Designs for Authors.  I can't wait to share it. 

Without further ado though, here is the unedited opening to End of Mercy:

            I woke slowly, tightened my eyelids to block the sunlight streaming through my window, and listened for the sounds of the household coming alive as I snuggled deeper into my covers.  I could hear my mother and father moving around upstairs, getting ready for another busy day of work.  Before I opened my eyes though, I inhaled deeply, searching for the smell of my mother’s pancakes and sizzling aroma of bacon frying in a pan.  I couldn’t seem to get a whiff of them, but I could almost taste the sticky syrup on my tongue as I turned over and slid into consciousness.

            Confused, I blinked a few times when my eyes slid open, and I took in the gritty, gray concrete blocks that made up the wall in front of me.  I pushed up on my elbow and looked around the room slowly.  As my vision cleared, the reality of my situation came back to me.  I wasn’t home.  My parents weren’t here.  The sounds, smells, and sunlight drifting in were coming from outside my small cell in The Heart of Mercy Research facility where I currently was locked in a basement cell.

            I should be used to waking in strange places and even stranger situations by now, but every once in a while, I woke at home again--at least in my mind--and the disappointment was sharp when I realized that place and time was completely gone, would never be something I experienced again.  Gone forever, along with the people I loved most in the world.

            Metal clinked against metal as the door was unlocked from the outside.  I didn’t have to look at who it was.  For some time now, a month apparently, Ben Parsons had been the only person at my door.

            Except for once.  Once it had been someone…or something…else.  It had been Zeke, or what was left of him.

            Now that time, not so long ago, felt like a dream to me.  Maybe it had been one, though it had seemed real enough.  He’d stood there until armed guards had come and taken him away, his eerie ice-blue stare never breaking away from my gaze until he was completely out of sight.  It had been him…but changed.  Even now, I shivered at the memory.

            I threw the covers back and pushed myself to a standing position.  Never wanting to appear vulnerable, I was always ready when Ben walked through the door.  Ready for what?  I really didn’t know.  They’d only drawn my blood once, three tubes of it when I first arrived, and hadn’t run any medical tests since.  In the time I’d been here, I’d only seen a small portion of Mercy as I was dragged through the hallways by armed guards and brought here to this small hole in the ground.  Well, hardly a hole since it had a small, but comfortable, bed and an attached bathroom, but considering I couldn’t come and go as I pleased, it was a prison cell just the same.

I was sure I hadn’t left the safety of the building.  Yet, somehow I suspected whoever was in charge had control of everyone and everything.  And that control was absolute.  What they didn’t know about me was that I didn’t back down and I didn’t give up--not after what I’d been through in the community and fighting my way to Mercy.  Now more than ever, I was determined I would survive.  And so would my sister Star, as soon as I learned where they were keeping her.  Until they let me see her, they weren’t going to get a cooperative prisoner.

            But Ben didn’t appear.

            “Step away from the door.”  The voice was feminine, and I stood beside the bed, too shocked to tell her I wasn’t near the door.  I hadn’t seen a female since my mother nearly a year ago.  There had been no women or girls remaining in the community, and I didn’t dare tell them the truth about me.  Until the end, they all thought I was just one of the boys.  The only female allowed had been my sister.  At the time, I didn’t know why there were no women; I just knew they were gone.

            It was only later that I learned the truth—all the women and girls were sent into The Dead Forest with a few guards to either live or die because females attracted Draghoul.  Or, at least, they believed that to be true.

            On the way to Mercy, I’d encountered one woman, but I didn’t count the pitiful creature I’d found locked in the back room of an underground bunker.  She was more Draghoul than human at that point.  But this, this person was an actual human female.

            She swung the door wide and stood solidly in the frame of the door.  I couldn’t move or speak or anything.  I just stared.

Happy Reading and Writing!

C. C. Marks