Burning Doors
The Extraction List Series
Book 2
Renee N. Meland
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Date of Publication: April 28th, 2015
ISBN: 9781680581119
ASIN: B00W7GV018
Number of pages: 164
Book Description:
Cain Foley committed his first murder before he could even drive a car…
Not that he would’ve had anywhere to drive to. When he was fifteen, America was one of the poorest countries in the world, and its’ citizens took their hatred of that fact out on each other through gangs and violence.
Children barely tall enough for carnival rides peppered the streets selling drugs (or themselves) so they could buy their next meal.
Every night on the news, Cain watched as an angelic blonde woman who lost her own child swore she’d end it…
She assaulted America’s televisions with praise for the Parental Morality Law: a set of rules that spells out exactly what it takes to be a parent in the eyes of the government, and the consequences of breaking those rules. He prayed every night that she’d come to rescue him before his father took off his belt again.
Before she could save him, Cain faced a fatal choice…
Fight back or die on the basement floor.
He chose life.
Now on the run, he finds himself being hunted by a police officer with his own special brand of torture. Before he can save even a handful of the children who have been swept up in the gang life, he must first cover up not one, but two murders. His father’s and one committed by a teenage madam who is either the love of his life, or his final undoing.
As he feels himself being pushed further and further to the edge, Cain realizes that surviving his father was just the beginning.
Excerpt:
The first time I killed someone, it was an accident. Though I guess it was the kind of accident that happens when you squeeze your hands around someone’s neck for too long, or when you shove someone who is standing too close to the edge of a building. In my case, I accidentally killed my father when I beat him to death with a pipe.
He had set me up that night, I’m sure of it. I was always careful to leave the TV volume down so I wouldn’t be caught. But when I flipped the power on that night, the news roared. The woman I wanted to see was there, giving a speech like always, but her voice came out with the force of thunder. Sweat drenched my body when I heard the door to my parents’ upstairs bedroom fly open and hit the wall. The foundation shook and so did my limbs. I sat frozen in a seated position as I heard his footsteps. All I could focus on were his shiny patent leather shoes coming toward me. Even in the middle of the night, he took the time to slip them on.
I could smell him before I even saw his feet. He constantly stunk of mouthwash and old cologne; it was some putrid mix of sandalwood and beach vacations that we would never take. He cackled as he stepped toward me, so the minty air from his breath reached me before his hand did. I felt my head hit the floor before I felt the familiar sting in my cheek.
“You’re so stupid. You really think you’ll ever leave here? Where do you think you’re going to go, huh? You need me. She hasn’t come for you and she never will!” He kicked me in the side with his foot.
My stomach clenched from the impact.
I usually kept quiet when he hit me. At most, I would agree with whatever he was saying to stop him before he did real damage.
It never worked.
No matter what I said, or didn’t say, the blows would keep coming. My mother was always conveniently upstairs, but no one can tell me she couldn’t hear the snap of his belt or the furniture rattle as he shoved me into it.
That night was different. Maybe it was watching the woman from the television, or maybe it was the way his smile stretched across his face as he struck me, I don’t know. But when he was finished and heading back upstairs, I spat towards him.
My cheeks burned as I did it. In fact, my whole body felt like it was on fire. But I’d be lying if I said I wished I could take it back. Even when he turned, eyes wide when he noticed the wad of saliva glistening on the concrete floor, I didn’t regret it one bit.
I may have even cracked a smile.
Why The Extraction List Became a Series- Author Guest Post
Alright, I admit it. The Extraction List was never supposed to be a series. It was supposed to be one and done, move on to the next idea. I have a short attention span, so the plan was to delve into some reincarnation stories that were swirling around in my head after I was finished with the book.
Then I met Riley Crane.
And Cain Foley.
And Jordyn Dailey.
I realized these people had a lot more story to tell, especially Cain, who ended up becoming my favorite character in the book (Sorry Riley, I still love you). I wanted to know what happened to Cain that made him become a Guide. Cain’s haunted-ness and ability to make quick and deadly decisions had to come from somewhere terribly dark and interesting.
So I let him tell me about it. And book 2 was born. Told from his perspective, the reader gets to take a walk down the darkened streets that were home to the chaos that was the beginning of the Parental Morality Law. You will see how the Guide system came to be, and what made Cain the twisted up badass that he is in book one.
But in my adventure with book two, I met some more people that I just couldn’t let go. Their contribution to the overall story couldn’t possibly be over. Without giving away too much, those delightful little bastards weren’t done with me yet either.
And because I know that not letting these characters go is what’s best for the story overall, I decided it wasn’t.
That leaves book 3. It’s going to have a lot more punch to it if you read Cain’s book first. It’s a before-you-go-forward-you-must-see-where-you’ve-been kind of thing. No, it’s not the ideal order of things, but hey, I’d rather tell the story MY way, even if that means having to get it read in a little bit of a weird order. I stand behind these books, and am confident enough to tell you that it will be worth it. So I hope you enjoy book one, and can’t wait to share with you the next step in the series!
Alright, I admit it. The Extraction List was never supposed to be a series. It was supposed to be one and done, move on to the next idea. I have a short attention span, so the plan was to delve into some reincarnation stories that were swirling around in my head after I was finished with the book.
Then I met Riley Crane.
And Cain Foley.
And Jordyn Dailey.
I realized these people had a lot more story to tell, especially Cain, who ended up becoming my favorite character in the book (Sorry Riley, I still love you). I wanted to know what happened to Cain that made him become a Guide. Cain’s haunted-ness and ability to make quick and deadly decisions had to come from somewhere terribly dark and interesting.
So I let him tell me about it. And book 2 was born. Told from his perspective, the reader gets to take a walk down the darkened streets that were home to the chaos that was the beginning of the Parental Morality Law. You will see how the Guide system came to be, and what made Cain the twisted up badass that he is in book one.
But in my adventure with book two, I met some more people that I just couldn’t let go. Their contribution to the overall story couldn’t possibly be over. Without giving away too much, those delightful little bastards weren’t done with me yet either.
And because I know that not letting these characters go is what’s best for the story overall, I decided it wasn’t.
That leaves book 3. It’s going to have a lot more punch to it if you read Cain’s book first. It’s a before-you-go-forward-you-must-see-where-you’ve-been kind of thing. No, it’s not the ideal order of things, but hey, I’d rather tell the story MY way, even if that means having to get it read in a little bit of a weird order. I stand behind these books, and am confident enough to tell you that it will be worth it. So I hope you enjoy book one, and can’t wait to share with you the next step in the series!
About the Author:
Renee N. Meland is an avid writer and reader of speculative fiction. She and her husband reside in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When she is not writing or being a devoted doggy-mom, she is gardening or learning a new recipe.
She is currently working on the rest of the books in The Extraction List Series. Other upcoming projects involve reincarnation, and a house filled with people who all have something to hide.
Twitter @reneenmeland
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