Melanie
is an author, designer, photographer, and flight attendant all rolled into one.
She has told stories all her life and finds her passion in sharing the plots
that spin through her head. She now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her two
dachshund-chihuahua dogs. She loves the beauty of the Pacific Northwest that
feeds her imagination.When no one is listening, Melanie loves to belt Broadway songs in her living room and car. Someday she hopes to be on a flight where someone is reading her book.
To
escape capture by Imperial soldiers, 16-year-old Eridale Storm leaves the only
home she’s ever known and drags her younger sister into the wilds of
Mericon—the Empire that formed when America collapsed. Hoping to find safety
with their mother who disappeared when Eridale was three, the girls follow
clues that lead them across the country, but the empire hounds their every
step.
The journey draws Eridale deeper into the conflict between the Empire and the rebel Freedom Fighters, producing questions about Eridale’s heritage, questions no one wants to answer.
Caught between the threads of deception, rebellion, and betrayal, Eridale struggles to find out who she is. The answers she finds could lead the country back to freedom or shackle them under the imperial throne forever.
This is book 1 of a 4 book series and not a stand-alone book.
Snippet:
A painful moan leaves
my lips in lieu of a reply. Tears of betrayal stream down my cheeks, and my
chest aches like I’ve been skewered by a thousand arrows. When I reach the
beach, the first touches of dawn streak across the eastern sky. In the dim
light I can’t see the boat but the tell- tale splash of feet in the water and
muted grunts tells me a boat has come to shore.
When I
locate the group, I march up to the small dinghy and rip the scarf from my
head, letting my red hair tumble out. The breeze catches it and furls it out
like a flag. My pale skin stands out like a beacon against the dark clothing.
Not surprisingly, the men stare. All my tears disappear.
I throw my
shoulders back and lift my chin. “I am Eridale Storm, and I request passage on
your ship to the western shore of the gulf.”
