Ria’s world is shaken one night when midnight strikes.
Is she the only one who can stop the destruction?
Midnight
Quakes
by
C.S. Patra
Genre:
Middle Grade Fantasy
For
12-year-old Ria Sharma, mixing in with crowds and other people hasn’t
been easy. A budding geologist, she’s not afraid to get her hands
dirty, be it for experiments or her latest science fair project.
Unfortunately, no one else feels the same and her relationships,
especially with her mother, are strained. Not wanting Ria to end up
like her estranged sister Debolina, who left home to pursue her art
dreams, her parents do their best to keep her from anything
dangerous, science or not. So Ria woefully has to work in secret,
hoping one day to change their minds.
Everything
shifts when strange earthquakes erupt around midnight, despite not
living near fault lines. Only Ria feels them and knows something’s
wrong under the surface. After digging around, she discovers
mysterious clay pieces with a drawing of the world falling apart. She
also notices that many people and places disappear after each quake.
Soon, she discovers the pieces, disappearances, and her own family
are all connected to this phenomenon. Using her science knowledge
plus Debolina’s help, Ria races to put the pieces together before the
quakes cause the Earth to disappear into thin air.
CS
Patra is the Amazon bestselling author of several book series. They
include but are not limited to The Reaper’s Apprentices, Operation:
Genome, Cirque Macabre, Portman’s Creamery mysteries, The Patterns &
Parallels Saga, Ghosts of Burning Inn, and Flavors of Love. She loves
to dabble in different genres and loves to cross over. Her personal
favorite thing is write about female characters in different
situations. She is also fond of writing many LGBT stories and stories
focused on PoCs.
Although she does work during the day, most
of her nights are taking up by writing. A native of North Carolina,
she currently lives in Nebraska with her husband. She loves ladybugs,
yellow roses, movies, book signings, mysteries, watching old Youtube
videos, ghost stories, gossip, music, people making her fanart,
museums, ice cream, and being a wisecrack though not all in that
order. Writing and peacocks hit the top of her list though.
A missing ladder. A relentless bully. Can the junior lawyer uncover the
truth before chaos erupts?
Luana Porcello has discovered a new love: volunteering at the community dog
pound. Still, as much as she enjoys working with animals, law remains her
true passion. So, when the local bully accuses his neighbor of theft, she
happily resumes her attorney role, confident of her client’s
innocence.
But as Luana gets to work, a formidable wall of evidence stands against her
client, from physical proof linking him to the alleged crime scene to an
eyewitness who insists he saw the accused commit the deed. Undeterred by the
odds stacked against her, Luana is relentless in her quest to vindicate her
client. Will her determination be enough to tip the scales of justice in
their favor?
EXCERPT
CHAPTER
1
Bully for You!
“I’m Only going to say this once. Gimme back my ladder, or
you’ll be sorry.” Billy Green hardened his jaw as he glowered at
the small boy.
“But I don’t have it!” Adam Garcia rubbed his sweaty
palms on his green t-shirt.
“You’re lying.” Billy clenched his fists and fought
against the urge to hit the boy.
Adam’s eyes darted around the park, searching for an escape. But
there was none. Billy and his companions had him trapped in a deserted area.
“I didn’t take your ladder, Billy. Honest, I
didn’t!”
“I didn’t take your ladder, Billy. Honest,” one of
Billy’s friends parroted mockingly.
A fourth boy laughed, and Billy twisted his lips. He would have found
Evan’s mocking impression of Adam hilarious at any other time, but not
now. Now, Billy was angry. Someone had taken his ladder—he was sure
that someone was Adam—and was determined to get it back.
The four boys were in the playground at Oakdale Park, a vast compound on
the outskirts of downtown Oakdale with tennis courts, basketball courts, a
swimming pool, and more.
Adam gulped and tugged at the neck of his t-shirt. He wasn’t sure how
he would get out of this mess. He didn’t know Billy well but knew he
and his friends were troublemakers. Adam’s eyes continued scanning the
area, desperately looking for a miracle. He noticed the grass was still damp
from the night’s heavy rainfall and the deep shadows surrounding them
where they were in the shade of the climbing wall. What Adam didn’t
see was another person. That was no surprise, as when he’d arrived at
the park earlier, he’d purposely chosen this area because of the
isolation. Adam had wanted to be alone. That decision had been a mistake.
Adam bit the inside of his cheek and peeked at his tormentor.
“I’ll give you till the count of five.” Billy towered
over Adam. “If you don’t tell me where my ladder is by the time
I finish, you’ll pay. One. Two. Three.” He counted off each
number on the fingers of his right hand.
Adam hunched over, squeezed his eyes shut, and awaited his fate. A fleeting
urge to run overcame him, but he couldn’t outrun Billy. Despite being
overweight, Billy was fast, and running away would only make him angrier.
Adam knew he’d pay once Billy caught up to him. No, it was better to
stay put and accept his doom. Besides, he and Billy were neighbors, so it
wasn’t like Adam could hide from the boy.
Meanwhile, Luana Porcello and her best friend, Phoebe Chen, rode along one
of the many bike paths that wove throughout the park grounds. The girls were
on their way home after spending the morning at the Oakdale Animal Shelter
orientation for new volunteers. Their friend, Carmen Diaz, a long-time
volunteer at the shelter, had been showing them the ropes.
Phoebe noticed the four boys in the distance as they turned a corner, and
the playground appeared. She recognized Billy and his cronies and slowed her
bike. “I wonder what’s going on over there?”
Luana’s brow creased as she followed Phoebe’s gaze with her
eyes. “Hmm. I doubt it’s anything good.”
“That’s for sure. Billy Green and those two he hangs with are
bad news, and they have that poor kid outnumbered.” She glanced at
Luana. “Maybe we should go find out what’s going on. He might
need help. What do you think?” Without waiting for an answer, Phoebe
changed directions and pedaled toward the playground.
“Phoebe! Wait!” Luana increased her speed, trying to catch up
to her friend. Sometimes, she wished Phoebe would think before she
acted.
About the Author
Caron Pescatore was born in the United Kingdom. She spent most of her
childhood in Jamaica before migrating to the United States. After practicing
as a registered nurse for many years, Caron decided to enter law school,
obtaining her J.D. in 2001. She worked as an attorney for several years
before leaving the profession to become a stay-at-home mom—her most
challenging career to date. She recently resumed working as an attorney at
Legal Aid, representing people from marginalized communities. Ms. Pescatore
is passionate about justice and fairness for all, a sentiment that led, in
part, to her decision to write the Kids’ Court Whodunit series. Her
favorite pastimes are reading, writing, and watching true-crime shows. She
also recently discovered a love of painting using stencils. At present, Ms.
Pescatore lives in Florida with her husband and two children.
Between Judith Barrett Lawson’s clever wordplay, and the delightful
illustrations by Netta Jones, I Smile at the Sun will transport readers on a
whimsical journey through childhood — it’s joys, silly mishaps, and small
everyday wonders. Yet you don’t have to be a child to smile at I Smile at
the Sun.
In the Tradition of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, but in her own
unique voice, Lawson brings together lighthearted humor with heartfelt
insights, offering friendly wisdom on growing up, loss, and the importance
of dreams.
If you grew up reading Dr. Seuss and love fun tongue-twisting rhymes, then
you’ve come to the right place. Judith Barrett Lawson has written an amazing
poem book that is not only just for kids but also Misidentified Grown-ups.
Immerse yourself in I Smile at the Sun and relive treasured memories, share
its magic, and let Judith Barrett Lawson’s poetic enchantment illuminate
your day.
About the Author
Writer, screenwriter, playwright, and lyricist Judith Lawson worked in film
and television casting for 10 years. She is co-author of screenplay based on
award-winning author Kaye Gibbon’s novel Sights Unseen. She has recorded more than 35 song cuts, and her play of I Smile at the Sun has been
produced four times to stellar reviews.
M.C.V. EGAN ❧Defining Ways❧ 