Zachary Rawlins's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-central-series"
Introduction and How I Got Here
Hello! Apologies for the late introduction - between my day job, and the writing thing, I haven't had much time to do anything else. I have the next two books slated for publication written already, though, so all I have to do is editing, and have a little more free time.
A bit about me as a writer - I've been writing since I won a creative writing contest in the fifth grade, for an apocalyptic fantasy story that I wrote. Unfortunately, since all the good guys died horribly and the bad guys won, I ended up having to talk to the school shrink a bit, too. Hints of things to come, I suppose.
I studied Lit and Creative Writing at UCSC, where I primarily wrote very technical, grim, violent poetry. While it got a fair amount of respect and attention, it wasn't the kind of stuff that most people like to read, and frankly, I didn't enjoy writing it that much. I got positive responses to my poetry, so I just stuck with it, and the more good feedback I got, the more I felt compelled to produce it.
The funny thing is, I've never been much of a reader of poetry. I read a mix of science-fiction, non-fiction, noir detective/crime, communist-era Russian lit, South American magical realism, William Burroughs, and comic books/manga. I would be the only kid in advanced composition class reading Zelazny, Gibson and Lia Block.
Fast forward another eight years, and after reading a very unsatisfying paperback, I wondered why I didn't just write a book that was like the books I enjoyed reading. The idea captivated me, and I started to spend hours everyday writing. My first two novels failed, part of the process of figuring out how to write one. My third, The Academy, languished on various publishers desks for a year or so, always getting good responses, but never actually moving to print. In the meantime, I wrote a couple more books, waiting around for a publishers phone call.
Eventually, I decided that I was tired of waiting, and that an e-book was the way to go. Thus, you have The Academy, and my forthcoming projects, which I sincerely hope you enjoy.
If you ever wish to, for whatever reason, I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks!
A bit about me as a writer - I've been writing since I won a creative writing contest in the fifth grade, for an apocalyptic fantasy story that I wrote. Unfortunately, since all the good guys died horribly and the bad guys won, I ended up having to talk to the school shrink a bit, too. Hints of things to come, I suppose.
I studied Lit and Creative Writing at UCSC, where I primarily wrote very technical, grim, violent poetry. While it got a fair amount of respect and attention, it wasn't the kind of stuff that most people like to read, and frankly, I didn't enjoy writing it that much. I got positive responses to my poetry, so I just stuck with it, and the more good feedback I got, the more I felt compelled to produce it.
The funny thing is, I've never been much of a reader of poetry. I read a mix of science-fiction, non-fiction, noir detective/crime, communist-era Russian lit, South American magical realism, William Burroughs, and comic books/manga. I would be the only kid in advanced composition class reading Zelazny, Gibson and Lia Block.
Fast forward another eight years, and after reading a very unsatisfying paperback, I wondered why I didn't just write a book that was like the books I enjoyed reading. The idea captivated me, and I started to spend hours everyday writing. My first two novels failed, part of the process of figuring out how to write one. My third, The Academy, languished on various publishers desks for a year or so, always getting good responses, but never actually moving to print. In the meantime, I wrote a couple more books, waiting around for a publishers phone call.
Eventually, I decided that I was tired of waiting, and that an e-book was the way to go. Thus, you have The Academy, and my forthcoming projects, which I sincerely hope you enjoy.
If you ever wish to, for whatever reason, I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks!
Fan's Choice
Since there will be an actual gap in time between the release of The Anathema and the the third book in the series, The Far Shores, I have decided to release a small collection of short stories set in the world of The Central Series to help bridge the gap.
I already have the bulk of the stories written, but I wanted to included one more to cap it off, as a thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed the books. So, what would you like to see? Is there a specific character, theme or scene that you would like to see explored?
Send me an email at [email protected], or hit up the FB page for The Central Series, and let me know what interests you, and whatever people pick, I will make it happen. Cheers!
I already have the bulk of the stories written, but I wanted to included one more to cap it off, as a thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed the books. So, what would you like to see? Is there a specific character, theme or scene that you would like to see explored?
Send me an email at [email protected], or hit up the FB page for The Central Series, and let me know what interests you, and whatever people pick, I will make it happen. Cheers!
How I Write Novels, Part Two
This time, I would like to focus on some of the tricks I use to complete novels. Last time, I discussed general methods that I use to write, whereas this time I would like to share some of the more quirky methods that I use to get through difficult points in the writing process.
Soundtracks
The credit for this idea belongs to a mangaka (manga creator) that I took some online drawing lessons from a few years ago. One of the more interesting things that he talked about had nothing to do with drawing - it was technique he used to inspire himself when he felt short on good ideas, or lacked the desire to write. In order to have a ready-made source inspiration, he created soundtracks for his book, so if he got stuck, he could play the music that he associated with the work.
I liked this idea a great deal - partly because I always work with music on. But, for me, I needed something a bit more specific - something like theme songs for every character in The Central Series, for example. That way, when I was working on a scene featuring Eerie, or Alice Gallow, or whomever, and I got stuck, I could simply play the song I had associated with the character.
Just for fun, here is my playlist for The Academy:
Overall Novel - Fever Ray, Fever Ray
Alex Warner - Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Eerie - Electrocute, On The Beat
Alice Gallow - Darkthrone, Too Old, Too Cold
Anastasia Martynova - Jucifer, Queen B
Mitsuru Aoki - Queen Adreena, Kitty Collar Tight
Margot Feld - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Warrior
Rebecca Levy - Stiff Little Fingers, 78 rpm
Emily Muir - Cat Power, Maybe Not
Not that the song lyrics necessarily have a specific relationship with the character, but something about the overall feel and tone of the music inspires thoughts of the character for me. This is one of my favorite ways to move beyond a point in the novel were I am struggling.
As an interesting (to me, anyway) side note, most of those songs changed completely for The Anathema.
Endless Interrogations of Friends and Loved Ones
Virtually every conversation in The Central Series is based on something that happened to me, something that I overheard, or something that happened to one of my friends or my wife. In cases were there was no solid basis from my personal experience to base an interaction on, I would attempt to find someone I knew who had traits in common with the character involved, and ask their opinion.
My wife really should get partial credit for The Central Series, because she answered a thousands questions about her own experiences as a teenage girl, romance, gossip, and all that chick stuff. She went over every female character, the statements they made, and the actions they took, in order to make sure they were consistent with reality and a female point of view.
Most of my friends and associates suffered similarly, though to less of an extreme. The people I know are a resource, and I shamelessly mine them for useful material, opinions and thoughts to help with the writing process, and to make sure viewpoints that I am not personal familiar with are authentically depicted.
Voices
My wife suspects that some of the outrage over my grammar comes from Alex and Rebecca's habitual mutilation of the English language. I tend to agree with her, at least in part.
When I realized that I was going to be using one main character as a general focal point for a series of books hundreds of thousands of words in length, I knew I would need to feel confident and natural using his voice. Being that I was still fairly new at this, I took a convenient and effective shortcut: I made the characters voice similar to my own.
Not that I am a sullen, self-absorbed teenager - not any more - but rather that Alex and I both come from a similar part of southern California, and we talk like it. Even in foreign countries, it generally only takes a few minutes for people to identify my point of origin, because of the distinctive slang and accent that goes with it. Both Rebecca and Alex have this same origin, meaning I could use either of their voices with total confidence in their authenticity.
I don't think this I am cheating by doing this, any more than Ian Rankin is for setting his stories in Scotland. It did, however, make the book easier to write, since I can hear Alex's voice in my head very naturally.
That's it for this time. Next, I will discuss the particulars of my experience with self-publishing. Cheers!
Soundtracks
The credit for this idea belongs to a mangaka (manga creator) that I took some online drawing lessons from a few years ago. One of the more interesting things that he talked about had nothing to do with drawing - it was technique he used to inspire himself when he felt short on good ideas, or lacked the desire to write. In order to have a ready-made source inspiration, he created soundtracks for his book, so if he got stuck, he could play the music that he associated with the work.
I liked this idea a great deal - partly because I always work with music on. But, for me, I needed something a bit more specific - something like theme songs for every character in The Central Series, for example. That way, when I was working on a scene featuring Eerie, or Alice Gallow, or whomever, and I got stuck, I could simply play the song I had associated with the character.
Just for fun, here is my playlist for The Academy:
Overall Novel - Fever Ray, Fever Ray
Alex Warner - Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Eerie - Electrocute, On The Beat
Alice Gallow - Darkthrone, Too Old, Too Cold
Anastasia Martynova - Jucifer, Queen B
Mitsuru Aoki - Queen Adreena, Kitty Collar Tight
Margot Feld - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Warrior
Rebecca Levy - Stiff Little Fingers, 78 rpm
Emily Muir - Cat Power, Maybe Not
Not that the song lyrics necessarily have a specific relationship with the character, but something about the overall feel and tone of the music inspires thoughts of the character for me. This is one of my favorite ways to move beyond a point in the novel were I am struggling.
As an interesting (to me, anyway) side note, most of those songs changed completely for The Anathema.
Endless Interrogations of Friends and Loved Ones
Virtually every conversation in The Central Series is based on something that happened to me, something that I overheard, or something that happened to one of my friends or my wife. In cases were there was no solid basis from my personal experience to base an interaction on, I would attempt to find someone I knew who had traits in common with the character involved, and ask their opinion.
My wife really should get partial credit for The Central Series, because she answered a thousands questions about her own experiences as a teenage girl, romance, gossip, and all that chick stuff. She went over every female character, the statements they made, and the actions they took, in order to make sure they were consistent with reality and a female point of view.
Most of my friends and associates suffered similarly, though to less of an extreme. The people I know are a resource, and I shamelessly mine them for useful material, opinions and thoughts to help with the writing process, and to make sure viewpoints that I am not personal familiar with are authentically depicted.
Voices
My wife suspects that some of the outrage over my grammar comes from Alex and Rebecca's habitual mutilation of the English language. I tend to agree with her, at least in part.
When I realized that I was going to be using one main character as a general focal point for a series of books hundreds of thousands of words in length, I knew I would need to feel confident and natural using his voice. Being that I was still fairly new at this, I took a convenient and effective shortcut: I made the characters voice similar to my own.
Not that I am a sullen, self-absorbed teenager - not any more - but rather that Alex and I both come from a similar part of southern California, and we talk like it. Even in foreign countries, it generally only takes a few minutes for people to identify my point of origin, because of the distinctive slang and accent that goes with it. Both Rebecca and Alex have this same origin, meaning I could use either of their voices with total confidence in their authenticity.
I don't think this I am cheating by doing this, any more than Ian Rankin is for setting his stories in Scotland. It did, however, make the book easier to write, since I can hear Alex's voice in my head very naturally.
That's it for this time. Next, I will discuss the particulars of my experience with self-publishing. Cheers!
Updated Versions of The Central Series Books
Slowed only slightly by my useless right shoulder, new versions of both The Academy and The Anathema will be uploaded over the weekend, and should be live on Amazon by early Monday. While there will be no story changes - you don't have to reread anything - there are literally hundreds of grammatical and typo corrections. I will also be creating epub versions to sell for the Nook - so if you have been waiting for that release, thank you for your patience. You should be in business next week.
I wanted to thank all the people who have emailed me corrections - I appreciate it very much, it is a huge help. Editing my books has become more of an ongoing process than I had hoped, but I think these new versions (fourth and third, respectively) will eliminate most of the worst mistakes.
If there was a mistake or a typo in any of my books - Central Series or otherwise - it's not too late to get it corrected! Just send me enough of the surrounding text so that I can find the error, and I will take care of it. Please try and contact me before Friday so it can be included in this update - my email is [email protected].
After this is done, I'm back to writing. The Central Series short story collection is coming together nicely, and should be ready for release this summer. Also, I have a new, totally secret, theoretically appropriate for young adults project in the works that should be out before the end of the year, if all goes well.
I wanted to thank all the people who have emailed me corrections - I appreciate it very much, it is a huge help. Editing my books has become more of an ongoing process than I had hoped, but I think these new versions (fourth and third, respectively) will eliminate most of the worst mistakes.
If there was a mistake or a typo in any of my books - Central Series or otherwise - it's not too late to get it corrected! Just send me enough of the surrounding text so that I can find the error, and I will take care of it. Please try and contact me before Friday so it can be included in this update - my email is [email protected].
After this is done, I'm back to writing. The Central Series short story collection is coming together nicely, and should be ready for release this summer. Also, I have a new, totally secret, theoretically appropriate for young adults project in the works that should be out before the end of the year, if all goes well.
Slight Delay & Unforseen Changes
I've finished the edits on the two Central Series novels, but a rather capable editor offered to give the new versions a quick pass through before publication, so they will go up this weekend, as opposed to last.
Thanks for your patience - hopefully, the new versions will help alleviate some of the editing issues that have bothered some folks.
In other news, my attempt to write a young adult novel failed in spectacular fashion. Now, I don't mean the book failed - I actually think it is really good, and about 60% completed. It's just not going to be appropriate for an audience whose parents still double-check what they are reading. I tried, but it just feels so unnatural.
Don't get me wrong, I have truly loved some YA fiction. It is the constraints that the writer has to operate under - basically, pretending people don't have sex or swear - seem so unnatural to me. I liked The Hunger Games, but the entire time I was reading it, I couldn't help but think how much better it could have been if it wasn't a YA book. Obviously, that's just my opinion, and not a widely held one. The only conclusion I can draw is that I am simply not cut out for it as a writer.
Anyway, back to work. I will have something new for you guys this spring, and then The Central Series short stories (for which I still need a title) this summer. Take care!
Thanks for your patience - hopefully, the new versions will help alleviate some of the editing issues that have bothered some folks.
In other news, my attempt to write a young adult novel failed in spectacular fashion. Now, I don't mean the book failed - I actually think it is really good, and about 60% completed. It's just not going to be appropriate for an audience whose parents still double-check what they are reading. I tried, but it just feels so unnatural.
Don't get me wrong, I have truly loved some YA fiction. It is the constraints that the writer has to operate under - basically, pretending people don't have sex or swear - seem so unnatural to me. I liked The Hunger Games, but the entire time I was reading it, I couldn't help but think how much better it could have been if it wasn't a YA book. Obviously, that's just my opinion, and not a widely held one. The only conclusion I can draw is that I am simply not cut out for it as a writer.
Anyway, back to work. I will have something new for you guys this spring, and then The Central Series short stories (for which I still need a title) this summer. Take care!
Despite my best efforts, I still don't have an orbital mind control laser...
Progress on a number of fronts here, which is why I have been a little quiet.
Edits on The Academy went live, and the text is improved. Any further typos or errors, let me know, and I will continue to update.
Just uploaded the new text for The Anathema, so a couple hundreds typos and glitches should be corrected by midweek, whenever it goes live.
Finished a revised and extended version of my own personal favorite book o' mine, Paranoid Magical Thinking. I'm waiting on new cover art from Poppy & Dahlia Design, and a few other little things, and then that will be live too. If you already bought it, you will get the new edition for free.
The new book is almost finished, has a title, and is about to move on to my editors. Depending on how long it takes to get that edited, and to acquire a cover, it should probably go out in June. I will announce the title, and publish an excerpt, here, in the next week or so.
The Central Series short stories are coming along nicely, and that will come out later this summer. Should be fun, because I will get to spend some time with a few characters who normal play peripheral roles.
Finally, The Far Shores, the next Central Series novel, is about halfway done. I will turn my attention to it fully at the end of the summer - but editing a 150,000 word document takes time, so that one is still a ways off.
So, yeah, things are busy - busy and good. Cheers!
Edits on The Academy went live, and the text is improved. Any further typos or errors, let me know, and I will continue to update.
Just uploaded the new text for The Anathema, so a couple hundreds typos and glitches should be corrected by midweek, whenever it goes live.
Finished a revised and extended version of my own personal favorite book o' mine, Paranoid Magical Thinking. I'm waiting on new cover art from Poppy & Dahlia Design, and a few other little things, and then that will be live too. If you already bought it, you will get the new edition for free.
The new book is almost finished, has a title, and is about to move on to my editors. Depending on how long it takes to get that edited, and to acquire a cover, it should probably go out in June. I will announce the title, and publish an excerpt, here, in the next week or so.
The Central Series short stories are coming along nicely, and that will come out later this summer. Should be fun, because I will get to spend some time with a few characters who normal play peripheral roles.
Finally, The Far Shores, the next Central Series novel, is about halfway done. I will turn my attention to it fully at the end of the summer - but editing a 150,000 word document takes time, so that one is still a ways off.
So, yeah, things are busy - busy and good. Cheers!
Inertia Creeping
I've seen some of the final illustrations and the new cover for the forthcoming super-deluxe-bonus version of Paranoid Magical Thinking, and they are awesome.
The Night Market is off for proofing and cover design right now.
And for the first time in quite a while, I'm working in the world of The Central Series again, and rather enjoying it. At this point, those kids are like old friends of mine. As of this morning, the short story, Nothing Special Happened Today, is one-third complete, and racing right along. I know it isn't a new Central Series novel (that's still a ways off, sorry...), but it will be quite a bit longer than your average short story (the max is usually set at 7,500 words - where as what I am releasing will be north of 20,000), and free, so there is that.
Nice to have things moving again.
The Night Market is off for proofing and cover design right now.
And for the first time in quite a while, I'm working in the world of The Central Series again, and rather enjoying it. At this point, those kids are like old friends of mine. As of this morning, the short story, Nothing Special Happened Today, is one-third complete, and racing right along. I know it isn't a new Central Series novel (that's still a ways off, sorry...), but it will be quite a bit longer than your average short story (the max is usually set at 7,500 words - where as what I am releasing will be north of 20,000), and free, so there is that.
Nice to have things moving again.
You Make Me Love Charity
I guess I should have stayed a bit more abreast of changes in Amazon Kindle store policy, 'cause while I was busy writing a free short story for fans of The Central Series, they changed their policies to disallow free books. Lame!
I was pretty much finished with the story, and quite liked it, too. Double lame!
This leaves me with three options:
-Charge 99 cents for what was supposed to be a free promo/reward for fans...
-Incorporate what I have already written into an introduction for The Far Shores, and move directly on to the third book...
-Increase the length to novella, and make it an awkward sort of Central Series book 2.5.
I should mention that I am aware of Smashwords and such, but at the moment, I simply don't have time to try and set up on yet another platform, just so I can give away a free story. Too much logistics, too much time away from actually writing.
I am not a huge fan of any of these options, as I just wanted to do a free short story e book via Kindle. At this point, my editor feels like the whole idea is shot, and I should just take what I have written and reshape it into an intro for the third book, which is coming along nicely, and go for a release in early 2013 for The Far Shores, and I am somewhat inclined to agree, as I am a bit frustrated with the current situation.
However, I know that some folks were really looking forward to it, and would resent the delay, even if the third book was book longer and arrived sooner, and would prefer that I release it separately. As my readers are all totally awesome, I would like to make everyone happy. But that, obviously, will not happen.
So if you have a vote, go ahead and let me know (here, on the Facebook page for 'The Central Series', or at [email protected]). Who knows, you might help me make up my mind.
Grumble...
I was pretty much finished with the story, and quite liked it, too. Double lame!
This leaves me with three options:
-Charge 99 cents for what was supposed to be a free promo/reward for fans...
-Incorporate what I have already written into an introduction for The Far Shores, and move directly on to the third book...
-Increase the length to novella, and make it an awkward sort of Central Series book 2.5.
I should mention that I am aware of Smashwords and such, but at the moment, I simply don't have time to try and set up on yet another platform, just so I can give away a free story. Too much logistics, too much time away from actually writing.
I am not a huge fan of any of these options, as I just wanted to do a free short story e book via Kindle. At this point, my editor feels like the whole idea is shot, and I should just take what I have written and reshape it into an intro for the third book, which is coming along nicely, and go for a release in early 2013 for The Far Shores, and I am somewhat inclined to agree, as I am a bit frustrated with the current situation.
However, I know that some folks were really looking forward to it, and would resent the delay, even if the third book was book longer and arrived sooner, and would prefer that I release it separately. As my readers are all totally awesome, I would like to make everyone happy. But that, obviously, will not happen.
So if you have a vote, go ahead and let me know (here, on the Facebook page for 'The Central Series', or at [email protected]). Who knows, you might help me make up my mind.
Grumble...
I'm Good, I'm Gone
This will have to be a quick one, because things are crazy around here, at the day job, at the writing job, and in life general.
First things first, I'm way behind in responding to emails - sorry 'bout that. I've been working so hard that I haven't had time - but I will respond, I swear.
Second thing - The Central Series short story. Quick version - I planned to release a free short story, as a thank you to my totally awesome fans. Unfortunately, Amazon did away with the ability to sell free books. Since the short story was always meant as a give away - and to avoid screwing with the 99 cent price point, I decided to integrate the short story material into next year's The Far Shores , making that novel extra awesome. I also set in motion another secret plan to reward my loyal readers that will start soon - make sure you are signed up to The Central Series FB page if you want in on it!
Final Thing - What the hell have I been doing? Well, a great deal. I'm doing final polish on the new version of Paranoid Magical Thinking, complete with new cover, revised text, and new illustrations. Should be up (and free, if you bought the original!) in the next couple weeks.
Also, The Night Market is in second-stage edits. A stand alone novel that I wrote which just happens to tie into my 'Cthulhu Noir' series, Unknown Kadath Estates, I think you all really enjoy this one. I know I'm really proud of it.
And yes, I am writing The Far Shores, but that is still an indeterminate ways out. Those novels take a very long time, a great deal of effort, and a whole bunch of editing. So, I can't be firmer than 2013, no matter how much y'all email me to demand it (but I appreciate it anyway).
Alright, back to work, writing, and daily life. Cheers!
First things first, I'm way behind in responding to emails - sorry 'bout that. I've been working so hard that I haven't had time - but I will respond, I swear.
Second thing - The Central Series short story. Quick version - I planned to release a free short story, as a thank you to my totally awesome fans. Unfortunately, Amazon did away with the ability to sell free books. Since the short story was always meant as a give away - and to avoid screwing with the 99 cent price point, I decided to integrate the short story material into next year's The Far Shores , making that novel extra awesome. I also set in motion another secret plan to reward my loyal readers that will start soon - make sure you are signed up to The Central Series FB page if you want in on it!
Final Thing - What the hell have I been doing? Well, a great deal. I'm doing final polish on the new version of Paranoid Magical Thinking, complete with new cover, revised text, and new illustrations. Should be up (and free, if you bought the original!) in the next couple weeks.
Also, The Night Market is in second-stage edits. A stand alone novel that I wrote which just happens to tie into my 'Cthulhu Noir' series, Unknown Kadath Estates, I think you all really enjoy this one. I know I'm really proud of it.
And yes, I am writing The Far Shores, but that is still an indeterminate ways out. Those novels take a very long time, a great deal of effort, and a whole bunch of editing. So, I can't be firmer than 2013, no matter how much y'all email me to demand it (but I appreciate it anyway).
Alright, back to work, writing, and daily life. Cheers!
Another Day in The Program
'Five students down, but the worst one was still at large. Katya was somewhere out there, stalking him. Even worse, Katya had taught him most of the tricks that Alex knew. So he didn’t have many surprises for her. Still...
Alex closed his eyes and scanned for her Etheric signature. He came up with nothing, which was impossible. He put more effort and energy into his search, but if there was any fruit to his efforts, Alex never experienced it.
There was a brief sound from the ledge above him, then Alex was knocked over by something heavy landing on him. Alex was winded by the impact and pinned to the sidewalk by the weight on his chest. He decided it would be a good idea to smile diplomatically at the girl who was sitting on his sternum.
“Tag.� Katya cheerfully poked him in the forehead with the business end of one of her feared sewing needles. “I win again! Unless you wanna fight it out?�
“No way,� Alex said, muffled and straining. Katya wasn’t the smallest girl in the world, not that he was stupid enough to say anything about it. “You totally win.�
“Cool!� Katya stood up carefully, one hand pressing against the front of her skirt for the sake of modesty. “The Program is so much fun.�
Alex sat up and rubbed the back of his head, sore from where it hit the concrete.
â€Áè±ð²¹±ô±ô²â?â€�
“Oh, yeah.� Katya nodded seriously while she helped him to his feet. “You think this sucks, you should try assassination school.�
Alex could see where she might have a point.'
-The Far Shores
Alex closed his eyes and scanned for her Etheric signature. He came up with nothing, which was impossible. He put more effort and energy into his search, but if there was any fruit to his efforts, Alex never experienced it.
There was a brief sound from the ledge above him, then Alex was knocked over by something heavy landing on him. Alex was winded by the impact and pinned to the sidewalk by the weight on his chest. He decided it would be a good idea to smile diplomatically at the girl who was sitting on his sternum.
“Tag.� Katya cheerfully poked him in the forehead with the business end of one of her feared sewing needles. “I win again! Unless you wanna fight it out?�
“No way,� Alex said, muffled and straining. Katya wasn’t the smallest girl in the world, not that he was stupid enough to say anything about it. “You totally win.�
“Cool!� Katya stood up carefully, one hand pressing against the front of her skirt for the sake of modesty. “The Program is so much fun.�
Alex sat up and rubbed the back of his head, sore from where it hit the concrete.
â€Áè±ð²¹±ô±ô²â?â€�
“Oh, yeah.� Katya nodded seriously while she helped him to his feet. “You think this sucks, you should try assassination school.�
Alex could see where she might have a point.'
-The Far Shores
