Since a young age Michael Brooks has been told he was best at making
things up. If it wasn’t concocting a lie to get out of trouble, it was creating
wild tales about aliens abducting cows from the barn, or stories of ghosts
haunting the woods that surrounded their farmhouse in Missouri. Now he’s all
grown up, earned a degree in creative writing, and has turned his passion for
“making things up” into a profession..
He lives in Utah with his beautiful wife, their five amazing kiddos,
four crazy chicken, too many fish to count, an impressive wand collection, and
one or two invisible dragons. He also writes and illustrates stories for
younger readers under the name Mikey Brooks. You can find more about him and
his other books at www.mikeybrooks.com.
Keep in touch by
signing up for Michael’s newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/JOpBv
MURDER MADE HIM A PRISONER. TRUTH CAN SET HIM FREE.
In a distant future, all
criminals of violent crimes are sentenced to life in the Arena where they must battle against both man
and beast in a fight to the death.
When sixteen-year-old Calvin Sawyer is wrongly convicted of his father’s murder, his charmed
life as the son of a senator is changed
forever. He’s stripped of his rights, his humanity, even his name. Now as the property of the
Arena, offender CS4521 must learn to
fight in the colosseum. It’s kill or be killed.
See what people are saying about the book
“Murder, friendship, and forbidden romance in a tech-heavy futuristic
world. Offender is everything we love about dystopian literature.”
—Rebecca Rode, USA Today bestselling author
of the Numbers Game Trilogy.
***
“Offender gripped me on the first page and didn’t let go until
the last line. Sharp and emotional writing combined with a hero you can’t help
but cheer on. It will keep you turning pages with anticipation. Can’t wait for
the next installment!”
— Ilima Todd, bestselling author of the Remake
series
Snippet:
Her
hand touches mine and lingers. I take in a breath, then go for it. Millimeters
away from our lips touching, she turns her head, cutting me off. I’m not sure
what to do now. My hand feels awkward holding hers. I must have screwed
something up. Maybe I talked too much, or didn’t talk enough. I thought a date
in the park would be romantic, but what did I know about romance?
“I’m
sorry, Cal.” She speaks in a whisper, and I’m afraid of what she might say. I
don’t want her to tell me that I’m not the guy for her when clearly we’re
incredible together.
I’m
not sure why I say it, but I do. “Mary, I like you.”
Waiting,
I tense up slightly as if I just placed my heart on the ground for her to stomp
on.
“I
like you too, Cal. A lot.” She hesitates and I wait for her to give me the
crushing blow. There’s something wrong with me, I’m sure. A girl like Mary can
get any guy she wants. She lets go of my hand and begins fidgeting with the
buttons on her sleeve. Before I know it, she yanks her sleeve up, revealing the
blue brand stamped on her forearm.
Five
arrows under the brand mark her as a fifth generation defector.
“I’m
sorry. I should’ve told you before, but you asked me out, and I really wanted
to be with you.” She pauses and the orange sky glints in her moist eyes. “I
don’t want you to get into trouble.”
I
take her hand and hold it tightly in mine. “You think I care about that? Screw
the edict.”
“Cal,
you could get in trouble. Your father—”
Thanks for sharing, Cas! ((hugs))
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