By MJ Fletcher
Date Published: 10/15/2013
New Adult Paranormal
Steampunk
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Blurb:
Jess Grimm has the ability to travel to any dimension in the multiverse. There's only one problem… it's killing her.
Jess is in a race against time to find a device that can slow the progression of the power inside her, but she isn't alone. Others want her power, and they don't care how they get it, or if she is dead or alive when they do.
The only person willing to help her is the mysterious Ronan Sparrow a member of the League of Skull & Bones, one of the very groups that want her power. But what does Ronan want in return? Can Jess trust him or will she find herself alone with enemies on all sides?
The League of Skull & Bones, Book 1 of The Grimm Chronicles
Prologue:
I wasn't alone in the dark.
Snarls and growls surrounded me, running my blood cold. I moved my head from side to side, scrunching my eyes, trying desperately to catch sight of the beasts before they reached me. My crimson swords weighed so heavily in my hands that I felt as if I'd been fighting for what seemed like eternity.
Claws and fangs suddenly slashed out from the darkness and I did my best to defend myself, though in my heart I knew it was a losing battle. The beasts were overpowering me and soon I wouldn't be able to stop them. No one was coming to save me. I was alone.
Talons slashed across my back and warm blood trickled down as pain shot across my spine. I stumbled and the beasts-I was sure-tasted victory. They moved in at me in waves. I spun my blades trying to battle the never-ending tide, trying to survive.
It was hopeless. For every monster I took down, another two took its place. I wanted to live, I wanted to fight, but the agonizing pain of my flesh being torn and sliced was too great to bear. I couldn't go on. The jaws of one of the beasts clamped on my wrist, and I lost my grip on one of my swords. It fell from my hand and clattered to the ground and with it went my last vestige of hope.
Blood drained from my body and my vision faded. I would soon black out, and then the beasts would feast on me. A scream bubbled in my throat and my mouth fell open, but no sounds came out. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see my own death and hoped that darkness would take me before the beasts did.
I bolted out of bed, my mouth still open in a silent scream, and my sheets tangled around me soaked with sweat. I stood at the foot of my bed, my breathing coming in ragged gasps.
The nightmares came almost every night. I couldn't escape them no matter how hard I tried. I yanked at the sheets, dragging them off me and tossing them back onto the bed.
I'd worn only an old t-shirt to bed, though now I wished I had worn more. I didn't want to see my scars, didn't want to be reminded yet again, but I couldn't stop my fingers from tracing over the ugly scars that marked my arms and upper torso.
I walked from the top floor of my loft, down the stainless steel steps to the kitchen area. I yanked open the fridge and grabbed the container of milk and took a gulp. I placed it back in the fridge and slammed the door closed. I slipped down onto the couch that faced the large windows dotting the walls of my loft and sighed at the breathtaking view of Paris. It always calmed me.
My fingers mindlessly drifted over the scars on my arms. They were a reminder of the very real night I had been trapped in a nearly unwinnable fight. Monsters had surrounded me and had almost killed me. If it hadn't been for my friends, I would have died.
But I hadn't died, or had I? I was far from the girl I had once been. Once I was the prettiest girl in school, and the girl who had hit every club and had had a blast when she had moved to Paris. But after the vicious attack everything had changed, most of all me.
My fingers suddenly stopped, settling on the edges of identical tattoos on both my forearms. I glanced down at the image of a Skeleton Key. My scars refused to cross paths with the tattoos, as if they knew that they dared not go near them.
I slid my finger over the tattoo, and felt a buzz of power run through me. These unwanted tattoos were another reminder of something else entirely. But unlike my scar, I had chosen these.
The monsters may not have gotten me, but these tattoos were a different matter. They marked me for death.
I pulled my knees up into my chest and took a deep breath. Maybe I would wait here until dawn. Then I wouldn't have to worry about any more nightmares or death that constantly stalked me.
I sat alone in the dark looking out on the City of Lights, awaiting the dawn and praying that I could keep death at bay and that I wouldn't hear the sound of monsters.
Author Interview:
The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write League of Skull & Bones?
MJ Fletcher: The main character of Jessica Grimm; she is someone who has gone from being the prettiest and most popular of women to a hardened fighter. Her mind and body are both scarred and I wanted to get inside of her head and see what it had to done to her.
They say if you tear a person down you can see their true self. I wanted to see what Jessica was made of and how she would handle all the adversity...going from having everything to starting from scratch.
Imagine everything you knew about yourself had changed. How would you interact with other people? Would you still be the same? She always had men on a string and now she struggles to be herself around them. That makes for a very fun character to write and hopefully read.
The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?
MJ Fletcher: As long as I can remember I wanted to write. I use to staple pages together as a child and make comic books. They were horrible rip offs of whatever I had read or seen on TV. But that is where it all started for me.
I would force people to read my terrible writing and sit with big round eyes in front of them asking them how they liked it. Luckily I had a good mom who told me I had better try again.
The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
MJ Fletcher: I think I was 4 or 5 and my older brothers had comics. I remember digging through them and finding one to read. It took me most of the day, but I got through it. After that it became a problem as I was always stealing their comics and later books to get my reading fix. I was hooked early and never shook it.
The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
MJ Fletcher: Honestly almost everything. Right now I am reading a good deal of Steampunk and paranormal. But I also enjoy urban fantasy, thrillers, mysteries and every once in a while fantasy. I also love to do research with non-fiction and history books.
The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?
MJ Fletcher: Book...as in just one? I might be able to narrow it down to a few dozen. But that would leave out entirely too many. I think it would be best to say I haven't read my favorite yet. I cling to the belief that the next one I read will be my favorite.
The Avid Reader: You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
MJ Fletcher: Edgar Allan Poe, he invented the mystery genre and was one of the greatest wordsmiths of all time. I still enjoy reading his work today. I recommend him to anyone willing to listen.
The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?
MJ Fletcher: Am I with the Doctor in his Tardis as we do this? I would hope so. That way I could always return or go to another time and save the world or universe from some dire threat, all while running and learning how to use a sonic screw driver.
If I had to choose I would want to go to the mid to late 1800's and have dinner with Edgar Allan Poe, where I would proceed to knock him over the head and save his life by bringing him to the future.
The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
MJ Fletcher: It comes and goes. Some days I can write for hours while other days it is a struggle to get through a few pages. No matter what, I always have a desire to write, but normal life with a kid and responsibilities tend to make it tougher. For some odd reason my family wants to spend time with me and make me do things besides write. Like go out in the sun and have fun. They're a bunch of a crazy people I tell yah.
The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
MJ Fletcher: We have a very large and crazy dog that can't help but crash into everything. She was responsible for the destruction of my laptop as I wrote League of Skull & Bones. Let me tell you that was a fun night. I cried amongst the pieces of my computer. Meanwhile my dog happily sat by watching me as if I was insane.
The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
MJ Fletcher: Homemade pierogies, there is nothing like them in the world. Don't be fooled by the frozen food stuff they sell you. Homemade ones are an entirely different universe of taste.
The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
MJ Fletcher: Yes, the most important aspect to becoming a writer is learning the secret handshake and being sure to make the monthly meetings in our lair hidden under the Library of Congress. JK Rowling and George RR Martin are always fighting over who killed off more characters, while Stephen King is busy freaking out the newbies with stories about Maine.
Besides that, the best advice is to write and never stop. That and never forget to tip the delivery man who brings your story ideas in your dreams.
About the Author:
MJ Fletcher was born in New Jersey and now lives by the beach with his beautiful wife and daughter. He has been writing since he first stapled pages together as a child and called them a book. He finally realized his ambitions when his comic book series Adam Zero The Last Man of Earth was published by Ronin Studios. His other comic book work includes Digital Webbing Presents and The Hero Initiative. His first novel The Doorknob Society released in 2012 was nominated for a Cybil award in the young adult category. He has continued writing the Doorknob Society Saga his rollicking steampunk adventure series as well as working on numerous other writing projects.
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