Jordyn Blog tour

You can buy Jordyn here and here.

Book Blurb: 

Hand to hand combat training: Check
Cardio and strength training: Check
Daemon hunting: Check
Anomaly: Check 

Check, check, check, check...That's all my life is. There's nothing ordinary about me. I'm "special." I know this because I'm reminded of it every stinking day. I can kick a Daemon's ass with both hands tied behind my back. I can run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Know what I can't do? Get guys to notice me, or hang out with friends like normal people do. I can't just be ordinary because I have an Arch Angel for a mentor who is always breathing down my neck, and a family of angelic Guides and Protectors who scrutinize every little thing I do. Just for a day I want a life where I'm no longer some anomaly, where I don't have to feel like a lab rat.

And then I met Emrys. Okay, so my mentor and family hate him, but probably for good reason. After-all, he is a Soul Trader, and they aren't the most trust worthy beings. But, he is sooo hot with his green eyes, leather jacket and the sexiest tattoo you've every seen running down his back. And-he doesn't treat me like a project.

I've got myself in quite a little quandary here. Choosing between my responsibilities and the Trader that holds my heart is something I didn't sign up for. Torn between two different worlds, I must now decide who to trust and who to walk away from. What's a girl to do? See what I mean? I am an anomaly. I am Jordyn.

So as you can see from the title, I'm proudly part of the Jordyn blog tour. What is Jordyn? Well, it's a wonderful book written by author, Tiffany King!

Jordyn is a sequel to Tiffany's first series called The Saving Angels series. I have reviewed those books here before and if you've read those reviews you can see how much I'm in love with Krista and Mark, not to mention Tiffany's writing. So you can imagine how excited and over the freakin moon I was when I heard about Jordyn! I was so excited to read this book that I put another book down just to pick this one up and I wasn't disappointed either!

I'll admit that my expectations were high for this book and Jordyn met them and went beyond what I was hoping for. She's a badassed girl with a sarcastic attitude that I was just drawn to. I found myself laughing at times and feeling everything she was, and that I love in a story! It shows how well the writer crafted the characters and their world and Tiffany did a fantastic job at it all! And Emrys, whoo! Yeah, you'll love Emrys cause I know I did.

Not only did Tiffany bring back Krista and Mark, but she put them in a more grownup role as Jordyn's aunt and uncle as well as her guardians. I actually loved this and was so happy to see them back along with the rest of my favorite characters. (Yeah, that means Haniel!)

I'm giving Jordyn a solid A+ because it was more than I was expecting and I'm really wanting to read it again. I highly suggest you buy Jordyn and the Saving Angels series if you don't already have them ASAP! I promise you that you won't regret it.

Join us for a mayhem journey through the paranormal world of Jordyn, where fighting Daemons is a piece of cake but getting a boy to notice you is hell. Once you've had a chance to hang out with Jordyn and Emrys head over to http://authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com for a chance to win cool prizes!!!

10^th- Holly Loves Indie http://www.iloveindiebooks.com/http://

10^th-12^th Michelle Nicole http://authormichellenicole.blogspot.com

11^th Rob Zimmerman http://alifeamongthepages.wordpress.com

12^th Krystal Marlein

13^th Marcia Woodell 

13^th Mary Smith http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com

14^th Emily Piland 

15^th Britt Reads Indie http://brittreadsindie.blogspot.com

16^th Reach for the Stars http://reachforthebooks.blogspot.com

17^th Tyhada’s Bookshelf http://tyhadareads.blogspot.com

18^th Confessions of a Bookaholic http://www.totalbookaholic.com

19^th Crazy Book Chicks http://crazybookchicks.blogspot.com

20^th My Pathway to Books  http://tessmw.blogspot.com

21^st YOU'RE HERE!

22^nd Books Over Boys http://www.booksoverboys.blogspot.com

23^rd The Reading Fish http://omgitsfishy.blogspot.com

24^th Still Seeking Allies http://stillseekingallies.blogspot.com

25^th Indie Bookshelf http://theindiebookshelf.blogspot.com

26^th The Autumn Review http://www.autumnreview.com

27^th Jennifer Roberts-Hall

27^th A Book Vacation http://bookvacations.wordpress.com

28^th Stuck in Books http://stuckinbooks.com

1^st The Girl with the Blue Bow http://thegirlwiththebluebow.blogspot.com

Where to Find Tiffany:

Blog, Goodreads , AmazonAuthor Page, Twitter: @AuthorTiffany, and Facebook.

 Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!

Rafflecopter code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Lovely Blog Award

My super sweet friend and amazing author, Veronica Bartles, has given me and six other lucky bloggers the One Lovely Blog Award! If you've been around my blog long enough you already know that I love giving awards and sharing the ones that I receive from wonderful bloggers/writers. It's just a nice way to say, "I appreciate you and what you do." Now, isn't that something all of us like to hear? I thought so too!

So for the rules. I have to state seven things about myself, (and I'll try to follow Veronica's lead and share things I haven't before,) while passing this award on to seven other bloggers who I feel deserve this award as well. Honestly guys, the choosing only seven people part is the hard thing here because I know lots of people who deserve this award. But I'll do my best to stick to the rules!

Okay, so here are my seven things.

1. I'm a hopeless romantic. While I may love the bad boy/girl in a story, if they're not who I feel is the MC's main love interest, I can't accept them being together. It feels wrong and a feeling of betrayal's always left behind. I can't explain it and I won't give the example I'm thinking about at this moment, but I'd rather have the conflicts of a sappy romance than the conflicts of a lustful one. Cause really, I've learned over these years that lust vanishes over time. But love, true love, is the thing that can last a lifetime.

2. Given the choice between a real rose or a fake orchid I will always choose the fake orchid. A) Because orchids are my favorite flower. B) Because I'll have it forever. It's a bummer to have to throwaway a gift that means so much. Even if it's just a I was out and saw this and thought about you kind of gift. The person still thought enough to buy something for you and then it's like, poof! Gone. So give me a fake flower any day. That way I can look at it and have it always. Although, real flowers are always nice too. :)

3. I am addicted to Investigation Discovery. It started out as just something to leave on during late nights of writing. Then suddenly, I'm hooked and coming up with ideas for books about murder. I've decided to call it research and have even asked if we can write cable off as a work expense as a joke. Although, it'd rock if we could. LOL.

4. Every time I hear He would be 16 by Michelle Wright, I cry like a baby. I was eight when the song was released, but even then it made me cry. I can't explain it, but it touches me and even though it's a song, the story's stuck with me and still makes me cry.

5. Leah Clifford is my spirit animal. Okay, maybe this isn't something new, but it's true. And the awesome part is that she's happy to be my spirit animal, which rocks! Honestly, she's amazing and just her being so super nice made a sucky week so much better. Thank you, Leah for that.

6. Coffee is super juice. Mix that with chocolate and you've got my favorite drink. Love it, but don't drink it often. Coffee by its self on the other hand, I have a pot every day.

7. And finally, number seven! I actually really love to cook. I'm a picky eater. Always have been. The thing is, I really love to cook stuff that I find super yummy and also the things I'll never eat. My favorite thing to make in fact is my mom's meatloaf, (which I'll never eat cause I really hate meatloaf,) and cornbread. Heck! I'll cook ALL my mom's dishes because she's a really good cook. Also, cooking's something that helps when I'm having doubts, (that we all have,) or I'm having one of THOSE days. That way I'm not being all HULK SMASH to the outside world.

Now to pass this baby, *coughs* I mean award on to seven wonderful people!

1. Julia King

2. Brenda Drake

3. Laura Renegar

4. Fiona McLaren

5. John Lucas Hargis

6. Cassandra Marshall

7. Summer Heacock

So there are my chosen seven. It was really hard to narrow it down, but these are the people I feel deserve this award. And really, I adore them and their blogs so much. You all should follow them if you don't already!

Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!

Ranch Hand by Alla Kar: A Review

Buy Ranch Hand by Alla Kar here. 

I had planned on reviewing Ranch Hand at the end of November or the beginning of December, but had to put it off until now due to the holidays and family things that kept me away from the blogging and internet world. That being said, I am very happy to be able to share my review now and I hope you all enjoy!

Ranch Hand is about Bridget Wilkes who returns to Texas to visit her sick grandfather and runs head on to, (HOT COWBOY ALERT!) smoken hot cowboy and old flame Levi James. While Bridget's life is safe and predictable back in New York, (job as an editor at Harper Teen and a fiancé she's in love with and ready to marry,) old feelings come back with a bang! When her fiancé comes to town, Bridget finds herself torn between the future she had planned and her feelings for Levi. 

Wanna know who she picks? Well, go buy Ranch Hand and find out cause I can promise you that you won't regret it. It truly is a great read coming in at around 100 pages. I finished it during NaNoWriMo within three days, but that's because I was writing at the same time. Ms. Kar has a way of making you feel like you're in Bridget's world. Normally I'm a YA reader, but I'm glad I got the chance to read this book. It really is a good romance read with touches of erotica laced through it.

All-in-all I'm giving Ranch Hand a solid A and highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself ASAP!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop Q & A with Me!

So, today's post is brought to you by a wonderful blog hop that the lovely Fiona McLaren asked me to do and I thank her tons for doing so!

And what are those questions I was talking about? Well, here they are!

1. What is the working title of your book?

The working title of my book has changed a few times, but now I think I've found the winner in SPARK. It just speaks volumes to me and I hope to the reader as well.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

I got the idea for Taisie's story while working on two seperate wip's. One was a contemporary that was telling a different story about Taisie, (that girl no longer exists and that's okay,) and a dark vampire wip about my antagonist, Spark and the then solo hero and now Taisie's love interest, Rune. Soon, the urge to just put them all together took over and Taisie's true story was born complete without vampires! (Wow! That's a big explanation.)

3. What genre does your book fall under?

I put it under YA Dark Fantasy.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?

I've thought about this before and know my picks like the back of my hand! Taisie would be played by Lucy Hale. Rune can only be Blair Redford. And Spark has always been the always charming, Ian Somerhalder. Together, I think they'd make the best cast possible to represent what's in my head.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When Taisie moves to a new town she only wants to shake her freak past and the ghost who's stalker her forever only to gain a new spectral's admiration along with magical powers she must use to save her mom's soul or damn the world to her admire's true intentions, destroying humankind and magic-kind alike.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm really going for the agency. That's what I'm truly hoping for. But I will not rule out self-publishing if and when that day comes.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It's been a few years since that, but I believe it took me 2 months or so due to making the switch from two wip's into one.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmmm... I'm not really sure, but I like to say it's a cross between The Craft and Mean Girls.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The inspiration for Spark came from my love of dark, ghostly tales. After thinking about truly why I wrote it though, I have to say that I wanted a story that I hadn't read before about someone I could be proud of. That story is Taisie's story.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

Not only is does SPARK have ghosts, love, and magic; it also contains a darker shift in relationships among friends and even families that shift Taisie's view on how the world really is.

So to keep the blog fun rolling, check out these two lovely ladies' blogs on 11/21 for more TNBT Q and A!

Cassandra Marshall

Claire

Spooktacular Pitch Extravaganza: The Reveal!

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Well, everything's been building up to this. Today's the big day and I can't wait to spill all of the details that I've been sitting on during this long week filled with cat-like ninja moves from our two awesome agents! I'd like to send a huge thank you out to Brittany Booker and Jordy Albert for being such amazing people. Watching them make their moves was a pure joy to me and I really do hope they had fun. And I hope you all had fun too! So, on with the post! 

WARNING: Olan Rogers gif's will be sprinkled in because he's Olan Rogers and his gif's say exactly what I think this post needs! (And no. Olan Rogers knows nothing of this post, but I'd be all fangirl if he found out and was all cool about it. I'm just using his gif's for the reasons above and because he's awesome!)

So, do you know what today is?

Yes, Olan. Today is a Monday. But it is also the day I get to reveal who Brittany and Jordy requested submissions from and what those requests are along with the winner of editor Cassandra Marshall's $35 Gift Certificate!

Oh, yay! Me too! So below you will find the lists of pitches that Brittany and Jordy have requested along with what those requests were and how to send in your submissions. And don't forget, the winner of Cassandra Marshall's $35 Gift Certificate is also being announced below. So keep reading to the end!

Brittany Booker's Requests:

If your MS appears on any of the lists below for Brittany, please email your requested submission to bookers32 (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line Attention: Brittany Booker Spooktacular Pitch Request.

Query + Synopsis + 10 pages:

#19 Never the Hero

#25 Dead New World

#45 Fire and Earth

#47 Ink

#51 Jennifer Strange

Query + 50 pages:

#15 Going Home Again

#17 Blame It On Meryl Streep

#20 Hope In Bloom

#24 Ex-Drama Queen

#37 Kissing Frogs

#38 Kissing a Superhero

#41 Try Me On For Size

Full Request: These two were the ties I hinted at on the #SpookPitch tag. In the end, Brittany won them by making the highest toss and redecorating them with full requests TP and eggs!

#28 Forget-Me-Not

#31 Ignite

Jordy Alberts Requests:

If your MS appears on any of the lists below for Jordy, please email your requested submission to jordy (at) corvisieroagency (dot) com with the subject line Attention: Jordy Albert Spooktacular Pitch Request.

Query + Synopsis + 10 pages:

#1 Mirror Mirror

#7 Alex Daily: Sometimes Superhero

#10 Ace of Shades

#12 Streetlight

#14 151

#27 Astral

$35 Gift Certificate to Editor Cassandra Marshall: 

I have let Cassandra know you've won so all you have to do to cash it in is mention this contest to her and all will be good. And the winner is.....

Veronica Bartles

Right now I know a few of you are like this:

While those who didn't receive request are like this:

I am so proud of everyone who entered and congratulate those who landed a pitch redecoration. Remember that this business is subjective and while a no today may turn into a yes tomorrow. I encourage you to query both of these agents because they are really wonderful at what they do. If you were in the tie breaker round or not, this is something I truly believe you should add to your list of to-do's.

THANK YOU'S:

Thank you to everyone who tweeted, blogged, facebooked this contest! Thank you to all of you who entered and for those who hung out on #SpookPitch and didn't slap me for my teases and being absent during normal people hours. A huge thank you goes to Brittany Booker and Jordy Albert for agreeing to do #SpookPitch and sticking with me through the hiccups. A big thank you to Brittany Howard for passing my invite along to these two lovely ladies and talking me into doing #SpookPitch when I almost folded. I also need to thank Kimberly Chase for that as well. I swear, we think too much alike at times, but that is totally awesome as well! A great big thank you goes out to Cassandra Marshall for donating to #SpookPitch before I even knew what #SpookPitch was. Thank you to John Lucas Hargis for letting me bounce ideas off him from the beginning of this wacky contest. And thank you to Brenda Drake, Master Yoda herself, for cheering me on and teaching me how a contest should be.

All of you are rockstars in my book and I'm very proud to know you all! Wait... do I know all of you? We're going to say I do!

Keep an eye out for more contest coming your way because you never know what I might be cooking up next!

Until next time, happy reading/writing everyone! (Ignore the face at the end. It's the only wave I could find. We'll pretend it stays a smile.) 

Spooktacular Pitch Extravaganza: The Agent Round!

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Today kicks off the agent round of the Spooktacular Pitch Extravaganza! From today through October 28th, agents Brittany Booker and Jordy Albert will be redecorating (requesting) the pitches below. The comments are on moderation so only the agents and I will know what's being done. Well, only I will know what both ladies are doing. They won't know if there's a tie until the last day. Cheering is allowed on the hashtag #SpookPitch where I will be popping up teasing agent moves all #SpookPitch! So, I hope to see everyone there!

On October 29th I will announce who got requests, what they are along with the details to get them in the hands of these awesome agents, along with the winner of the $35 GC from editor Cassandra Marshall.

NOTE: If you see a mistake in your pitch caused by formatting, please let me know and I'll fix it. If you don't see your pitch below and you know you emailed it to me, please check this post. 

Good luck to everyone! I hope you all get a little Halloween-esq redecorating! And thank you to Brittany and Jordy for doing this. Have fun guys and see you on #SpookPitch!

Spooktacular Pitch #01: MIRROR MIRROR

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Title: Mirror Mirror
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Word Count: 60,000 words

3 line Pitch:

When girl meets ghost is what seventeen-year-old Megan Foster experiences when she discovers a heart-shaped, dusty antique mirror. After a Halloween stunt goes awry Megan is thrust into a world of ghosts when a crack in the mirror summons Slag a black ghost who tries to steal her soul. Enter Jax a white ghost charged with protecting Megan, but they both get more than they bargain for when love interrupts his duties.



First 250:

Seventeen-year-old Megan Foster detested her parent's week-end excursions to every antique mall up and down the New England Coast. They literally dragged her along, when all she wanted was to spend the week-end hanging at the mall with her friends.

“Come on Megs, it'll be fun,” her dad insisted.

Trolling for junk wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but if she didn't go her parent's would ground her. The smell of fresh cooked bacon and coffee wafted past her nose when she entered the antiqued decorated kitchen. Her mom had wrought and cast iron scattered from one corner to the other. It was ridiculous.

“Mom, do I have to go this time,” Megan flung herself onto a black speckled metal chair.

“No dear,” her mom said. But, there's a new shop that just opened and I really want you to go too.”

Megan pushed her eggs on top of her bacon and sloshed the hot, black coffee around before taking a sip.

“Dad?”

Megan fought a lost cause. Her dad would side with her mom. She got up, took her plate to the sink and flushed her breakfast down the disposal. The mall would have to wait.

Her cell rang. It was her best friend Regina. Megan silenced the call, plunged her ear buds into her ears, and plopped into the passenger seat of the mini van.

"Where are we going today?” She questioned her mom.

“Beachfront, Massachusetts and Fairy Tale Junque.”

Fairy Tale Junque. You've got to be kidding?

Spooktacular Pitch #02: Redacted

This entry has been redacted and we're wishing the author well. 

Spooktacular Pitch #03: LOVE IN REAL LIFE

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Title:LOVE IN REAL LIFE
Genre:Adult Contemporary
Word count:81,000

3 Line Pitch:

When Josey Blackman meets Alex Blake, secrets from her dark past force her to question her perfect life. Josey is about to learn life throws you curveballs even after you find happily ever after. Every choice, even the right one, comes with a price.



First 250:

Shower time. I could do this with my eyes closed. Every detail was so burned into my brain.

Step in. Turn on the water. Adjust the spray, temperature. Reach out, turn on iPod. Today’s selection: “Time Is Running Out” by Muse.

Great. Please don’t be prophetic.

Shampoo in hand. Wash hair. Soap. Scrub. Rinse.

I stood in the hot spray, feeling my overworked muscles relaxing a bit. Not enough, but a little. I had been dancing way too much lately. I ached in places a younger body wouldn’t feel and I was tired. Stretching my arms out to brace myself on the wall in front of me, I closed my eyes and imagined a certain set of hands on me, rubbing that soreness right away.

The reverie was interrupted by heavy footsteps made by a tiny person. Tramp, tramp, tramp. It was Rose. My baby girl was five. I could not believe it. She came running in the room. Smart, funny, beautiful, healthy. All the things you want a child to be. And I loved her more than the moon. She carried none of my damaged psyche. In short, she was perfect. And not just because I’m her mom. It was the truth. I may be lots of things, but liar is not one of them.

“Mama, did you make my lunch yet?”

“Mama will be out in just a sec. Are you dressed?”

Same questions, different morning.

“Uh-huh.”

I couldn’t help but smile. She was exactly what I never knew I wanted.

Spooktacular Pitch #04: JANE DOE

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Title: JANE DOE
Genre: Sci-fi with romantic elements
Word Count: 87,000

Three Line Pitch:

All CBI Agent Sam Rose needs is one big case to solve, so she can earn her transfer and finally live in the same city as her fiancé. Unfortunately, her Senior Agent believes women – especially colored women – are better suited to staying in the kitchen than chasing killers. A break-in at a local government-funded lab isn’t especially promising, until the coroner matches a staff member who went missing during the break-in with a Jane Doe who died eighteen months ago.

First 250 Words:

Monday May 20th, 2069
Commonwealth of North America

Sam tapped the unsigned Jane Doe report against her hand as she contemplated the four-meter stretch of sidewalk between the main bureau building and the morgue. It wasn’t like a significant case was likely to come up in the next twenty-four hours, or the next twenty-four months if she were honest, but she wanted her desk cleared just in case. Senior Agent Marrins delighted in finding excuses to extend her time as a junior agent and keep her from transferring to DC and her fiancé. Jane Doe was in her way. Bloody clone.

“Rose!”

She jerked her head around in time to see the elevator closing behind her boss. “Sir?”

“What are you doing?” Marrins asked.

“I’m going to get the coroner’s signature on the Jane Doe the police found Friday.”

He stopped at the bureau check-in desk and nodded to the secretary. “Theresa, you got that file Altin sent over?”

“Downloading it now, sir.”

Marrins took an efile from Theresa and handed it to Sam. “Detective Altin from the PD has a robbery he wants a bureau assist on. You can go chase stolen barrettes across the district lines with him.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said with a grimace.

“Don’t be like that. You wanted something more than clones. Altin is good for that. Can’t find his pants without a map and permission written in triplicate, but that’s what you get from his sort of people.” Marrins snorted. “Take care of it.”

Spooktacular Pitch #05: TENDRIL

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Title: TENDRIL
Genre:YA Dark Contemporary w/Magical Realism
Word Count: 68,000 words


3 Line Pitch:

Opal MacBride’s inheritance includes albinism, a lecherous uncle, and a family curse that says she’ll never find true love. The curse suffers a mortal blow when two brothers, one living and one dead, fall in love with her. But a happy ending requires foiling her uncle’s depraved abduction plot, and choosing between the boys she loves—a choice of life, or eternal life.



First 250:

Sporadic blasts of the foghorn heralded our arrival at the lighthouse. The headlights illuminated the mist shrouding the island, but couldn’t penetrate it. Once we were out of the car, fog clung to my skin like a veil. The air was thick with the smell of sea creatures, both living and dead.

Aunt Laura and I followed Uncle Ned into the lightkeeper’s cottage. He lumbered up the narrow staircase and carried my suitcase into one of the two bedrooms on the second floor. Laura began to unpack, setting my folded clothes on the narrow white bed.

“Darling, shouldn’t you start making dinner?” Ned asked. He was slightly out of breath.

“Yes, of course.” Laura scurried away.

Ned stepped towards me. I grabbed an armful of sweaters and held them to my chest, as if their soft wool could protect me, like an armored breastplate.

“When is Pearl’s funeral?” The words scraped past the clump of grief damming my throat.

“Tomorrow, at ten thirty. Just a private service with the two of us, and your Aunt Laura. A friend of mine will officiate.” He went on to mention my father’s other siblings, whom I’d never met. “Bartholomew is in Kiev with his circus and Rowena is somewhere in Africa, doing God’s work. Neither can make the trip on such short notice. Needless to say, your father won’t be attending. It will be a difficult day, but we’ll be a great comfort to each other.”

“I’ll be fine,” I whispered, then gathered my quivering lip between my teeth.

Spooktacular Pitch #06: HAVOC'S KNOT

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Title: HAVOC'S KNOT
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Wordcount: 90,000



Pitch:

Jake had no idea a trip to the local museum would transform him from wallflower to warrior. When he accidentally steals the place of another boy, he also takes on a prophecy not intended for him. Now he must defeat the wolf king if he ever wants to see home again, or keep the people he loves alive.



First 250:

Nothing was more annoying than a blinding sunbeam. Frankly, Jake was not fond of the sun, or anything about the outdoors. And the sweet perfume of spring air was pounding an irrational thought through his mind. Am I outside? That simply made no sense. And yet, that’s exactly what he knew to be true.

Every muscle and bone within him ached as though he had slammed against the damp ground beneath him. Dark clouds rolled overhead, scattering the sun’s rays. Sprawled within a patch of feathery meadow grass agitated by the wind, Jake lifted himself and took in the scenery.

The dimly lit meadow was sprinkled with flowers and shrubs, surrounded by trees that scraped the clouds. Glancing at the stormy ceiling, he noticed a pink glow shed by the rising moon and another, much smaller moon snuggled close to the horizon. One thing was for sure, this was not Earth. Numbness spread through Jake’s trembling body, freezing the scream in his throat.

And although it had happened seconds before, he felt hours or days removed from the incident at the museum. The words of the boy with the sun-soaked skin continued to echo in his head, “Don’t be such a whimp.” As the tour group had converged in another corridor, the unruly kid egged Jake on to join him elsewhere. He shouldn’t have gone. He didn’t want to. But he certainly wasn’t a whimp. And no mop-haired jerk was going to prove him otherwise.

The fog of his memory was splattered apart by a voice, “Are you lost?”