I don't think it will quite be ready in time for Halloween, but it should be out by early November!
Here's a short excerpt from Chapter Nine: In Which Alice Encounters a Cake in the Grass
A piercing scream came from around the corner of the house. Alice dropped her fork and parasol, nearly leaping out of her seat. Lyra turned her head with a speed to match that of her metabolism and Charles’s eyes nearly popped out onto the table.
“What—” he began. Another scream followed and a loud crunching and then silence.
Alice shivered. The birds stopped singing. The fountain splashed discordantly in the sudden stillness. Shuffling steps approached and around the corner stepped an undead soldier.
“Braaaaaaaaaains,” it said, fixing its soulless eyes on Alice. It stepped out of the shadows, the sun falling on its grey-bluish green skin. It had once been a young man, but now it stooped and hobbled like an ancient one. Blood dripped from its drooling mouth, sinews stuck between its teeth dangling like party streamers. Stitches lined its widow’s peak and laced its chest, peering out from its open jacket. Not a soldier’s jacket after all, but stained with fresh blood nevertheless.
“Wonkers,” Alice squeaked breathlessly, seizing her pound cake.
“My Creature,” Lyra whispered.
The creature narrowed its eyes. “Braiiiiiiins!!” it screamed, and charged across the lawn. Alice, Lyra, and Charles all squealed in unison, toppled their chairs, and fled. The creature was between them and the house, so they made for the greenhouse.
The pound cake slid off the porcelain plate. Alice skidded to a stop and looked back at the cake lying in the grass.
“Cake!” she cried.
The cake did not respond. The zombie, however, yelled enthusiastically, “Brain! Uh! Brains!” As it turned out, the walking dead could keep her from a good pound cake. She turned and ran. Lyra and Charles were a good ten paces ahead of her and they didn’t look back.
“Wait!” she called after them. She glanced back. The zombie was closing in. It reached the pound cake but stopped to pick it up. Alice ran faster.
Charles and Lyra were almost to the sparkling walls of the greenhouse. The pound cake whistled past Alice’s head. The zombie crowed as the cake rolled between Lyra’s feet, tripping her. She toppled in a cascade of white gauze and pink ribbon, her parasol snapping underneath her.
Charles plowed up turf as he skidded to a stop and wheeled around to help her up. Alice reached them and grabbed Lyra’s other arm. Together, she and Charles pulled Lyra through the greenhouse door. Charles slammed it shut and barred it with a shovel. Alice’s last view was of the zombie loping awkwardly toward them, wailing, “Awww!” in dismay.
Alice collapsed onto the tiled floor, shaking. Lyra stood swaying next to her, mumbling under her breath. Charles wiped his forehead. The lower walls of the greenhouse were frosted glass, so they couldn’t see out.
“They’re real!” Alice gasped. And then she started crying. Charles helped her to her feet and the three cousins stood in a tight circle hugging as the zombie pounded on the door.
“What fools we’ve been!” Charles exclaimed.
Alice had her head buried in his chest, but he pushed her away and she found her head on an even less receptive breast — Lyra’s. Charles seized a trowel from a tool bench and stood ready at the vibrating door. To Alice’s shock and surprise, Lyra began to gently pat her shoulder.
“Don’t worry,” Lyra said consolingly, “good girls like you will go straight to Heaven.”
Congrats on the audiobook! Loved the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreat excerpt!
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