Thank you for helping me spread the news of my new eco-thriller, Stephen! Much appreciated. Over on Indie Spot, I shared an excerpt of Shawnee Daniels’ first encounter with an American Buffalo (bison). So, I thought it’d be fun to continue it here. When we left off, two feet separated her from the most Herculean land mammal in North American. Her only escape is to climb a tree, but the tree stands ten feet behind her. Let’s see if she escapes unscathed. 😉 For clarity, Poe is a crow. And he is not a fan of Shawnee.
Slow and steady, I expanded the distance between us. If I tripped, it’d be game over. At that point, I could only play dead, even though the act probably wouldn’t fool him. If I made it to the tree, I could climb. Then I might have a shot of escaping his wrath.
The little voice inside me screamed for me to do something—anything—before the inevitable unfolded.
Move your ass, Daniels!
I whirled around.
Inside the log home stood Poe. The wall of windows shielded him from the danger breathing down my neck. Think he’d call for Shicheii? Hell, no. That punk couldn’t wait to see me gored by two pointed horns.
Time chugged.
One arm flexed forward, the other back, my legs moving but not gaining traction fast enough. The stench of rotten eggs, wet clay, and santal assaulted my sinuses. I couldn’t scream without startling the ginormous beast behind me. I also couldn’t gain enough speed to outrun my pursuer. American Buffalo sprinted at thirty-five to forty miles per hour. They hopped high fences and even swam. The only thing they couldn’t do was climb.
Please let me reach the tree in time.
A hair-raising bellow shot over my shoulder, hot breath parting the back of my hair. Why wasn’t anyone stopping this? Would my family find me sprawled on the ground, impaled through the heart? How’d this happen? I only stepped out for fresh air. Why’d that piss him off?
Cloven hooves clamored behind me, the earth quaking from one ton of fury.
Love you, Shicheii.
An enormous head scooped me off my feet. My legs dangled down his muzzle, my ass cushioned by thick curly fur. In a split-second, he flung me twenty feet in the air, conifer branches and a cloudless sky strobe-lighting as I dropped. When I slammed against solid ground, the force knocked the wind out of me, and I rolled to my back, arms flapped open like Jesus on the cross.
In total surrender, I gulped the air. Braced for another strike. Or stomped to death.
Cloven hooves stampeded away, Mother Earth vibrating beneath me.
Still couldn’t move. Pain spindled up my spine, a deep achiness branched through my limbs. Father Sun’s rays reached for me, spears of sunlight heating me from the inside out, my body temperature rising higher by the second. Trickles of sweat needled my scalp, watery eyes leaking past my temples. Even my hair wilted, long strands plastered across my nose and chin.
Ca-caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!
Now Poe alerted? Friggin’ psycho probably enjoyed the show. If I could find the strength to crawl to my feet, I might be tempted to yank out all his new tail feathers. Sadly, that’d have to wait. My body ached from head to toe. But if I didn’t summon the power to rise soon, I could die out here.
What if the Buffalo left to notify his herd? Or worse, a massive grizzly or Wolf pack found me. No way wouldn’t they partake in a free meal. And yet, there I lay. Easy prey for predators in the thick forest around the log home.
Book description:
Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.
With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.
There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.
Even murder.
As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?
Preorder for 99c. Sale ends on release day, April 11, 2024.
She is now qualified to be a rodeo clown.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Rodeo clowning can pay a lot better than writing, so there’s always that!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow! Thanks for finishing out that scene, but now I’m wondering if she’s going to be able to get up. And where the heck is Mr. Mayhem?? 🙂 Can’t wait to read this one, Sue.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’ll have to read it to find out, Jan. 😉 Thank you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Can’t wait! When it hits my Kindle, I will drop everything and read!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Jan. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Stephen! Much appreciated. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations, Sue. With each new post, my excitement about Savage Mayhem increased. I can’t wait to read it! Thank you, Stephen, for showcasing Sue and her latest! 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yay!! Thank you, Gwen! ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
My pleasure, Gwen. Sue classes up the place!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A fantastic excerpt, Sue! Best wishes to you on this new release. Thanks for hosting, Geez.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Beem!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Stephen, thank you for showcasing Sue here with this great post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Robbie!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I haven’t read this one yet–I just pushed it up my TBR list! Sharing…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yay! Thanks, Jacqui. 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve already got the book but haven’t read it yet. Thanks for the reminder!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Nicholas. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fabulous to see Sue here getting some buzz for her latest book. Thanks for hosting, Stephen. Congrats, Sue!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Diana! xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: SAVAGE MAYHEM by Sue Coletta #GeoThriller | Staci Troilo