Infinite Time
Author: H.J. Lawson
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Date Published: June 1, 2016
Date Published: June 1, 2016
Book Description:
Save the girl.
Save the day.
Save yourself.
The mission sounds easy enough, but it is anything but easy for Parker Jenkins. Yesterday, ordinary, poverty-stricken Parker was an ordinary high school kid, getting bullied relentlessly and trying to get by. Today, he's a time traveler with gifted powers expected to carry out the extraordinary. Teaming up with another time traveler, Scarlet, they must save an innocent girl on the run before the villains kill them all. If they don't, their present-day selves will die. But can the ordinary perform the extraordinary?
Save the day.
Save yourself.
The mission sounds easy enough, but it is anything but easy for Parker Jenkins. Yesterday, ordinary, poverty-stricken Parker was an ordinary high school kid, getting bullied relentlessly and trying to get by. Today, he's a time traveler with gifted powers expected to carry out the extraordinary. Teaming up with another time traveler, Scarlet, they must save an innocent girl on the run before the villains kill them all. If they don't, their present-day selves will die. But can the ordinary perform the extraordinary?
Buy Links:
Check out HJ Lawson's novel Anonymous on Kindle Scout:
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/OV38P5DYHJ79
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/OV38P5DYHJ79
EXCERPT
Chapter One
“Parker... come down. Parkerrrr,” mom yells from the bottom of the stairs.
“What?” I yell back, my eyes fixed on the screen. She’s going to kill me if she carries on shouting at me.
“Come downstairs,” she yells.
“No... no,” I yell at the screen as I fire frantically at this game. “No... this game is stupid,” I say, throwing the control down, glad I’m getting the new game tomorrow for my birthday. It's meant to be way better than this one.
“Parker,” mom screams. Great, she sounds mad. Hope she doesn’t threaten to take my game back.
“What?” I yell from the top of the stairs.
“I need some milk from the store; can you catch up with dad?” she asks as I head down the stairs toward her.
“Can’t you call him?”
“He left his phone,” she says with his phone in her hand.
“Do I have to?”
“Please,” she sighs. Even with the dim light in the hallway I can see the shadows under her eyes. The flower satin bandana only makes her skin look grayer. Guilt seeps in, Mom is always so positive it’s easy to forget how sick she is.
“Sorry Mom, of course I can,” I say.
“Thanks, Parker. Grab yourself some candy as well.” She smiles as she ruffles my hair. “You need a haircut before your birthday party next week.
“And grab your coat, Parker. There's a chill in the air,” mom says, wrapping her nightgown over herself as she stands with the door open, revealing the dark street lit with streetlights.
“Are you sure I should go by myself?”
“You are eleven tomorrow, and dad’s just left. I will watch from the step.” I've walked to the store on my own before, but this is the first time at night. I grab my coat and head out onto the street. She's right—there is a chill. I pull my coat together, letting the velcro connect and hold it in place.
Gentle drops bounce off my head. It's frigging raining.
I lookback to mom, who, as she said, is on the steps in front of our house with her hands folded.
She waves me on. I run quicker so I can get back quicker.
My sneakers pound on the sidewalk. I miss step and land in a puddle.
Streams of light from car headlights beam along the rain, igniting the drops.
The light rain begins pouring in earnest at the sight of me running, as if it's trying to drown me. At this rate my feet are going to be soaked.
“Dad, wait up,” I yell as his shadow turns into the store, but there's no way he can hear me over the hammering rain.
The sound of a gun going off rips through my ears as if I were standing next to fireworks. I flinch back, away from the sound.
A man darts out of the store and runs straight toward me, with a gun pointing at me.
I freeze.
His eyes flick toward me as he passes me, and he doesn't stop running, as if he's barely seen me.
I release the breath I was holding.
“Parker?” mom screams as she runs barefooted down our front step, toward me. “Edward?” she calls out to my dad.
Dad. I run toward the store. Rain pounds down on my head as my coat flies open.
Dad staggers out of the store with his hand clutching his chest. Other people from the store gather around him.
“Dad... Dad, are you okay?”
“Edward,” mom yells as she gets closer.
Dad’s legs buckle beneath him, and he falls to the ground before anyone can catch him.
I run, dropping to my knees beside him.
“Dad... Dad.”
The color drains from his face, dripping away with each raindrop.
“Call for an ambulance,” mom yells as she crumbles to the ground beside me.
“Angela,” dad says as he opens up his hand for mom’s. His hand is covered in blood. His other hand clutches tightly around a card that shrinks as it becomes more water than card.
A bloody red stain seeps through his white shirt, just below his heart. The rain doesn’t wash it away quickly enough.
He will live, he has to.
“Parker, look after your mom for me,” dad says, passing me the card and resting his hand on top of mine.
“Look after each other,” he says as his eyes close.
“Edward.”
“Dad... Dad!” I scream out, trying not to sob, but as always, tears soak my cheeks, and my bed sheets are wet from sweat.
I try to compose myself, to remember that it was just a dream—well, a dream that really happened. I look over to the red glowing numbers on my alarm clock. I’ve got just enough time for a shower before class.
I’ve run through all the different things I could have done to change the past: I could have stopped my dad from going to the store; or left the house when mom told me to; or maybe stopped Ethan Hastings, the shooter, before he could get to my dad.
Hastings never got sent to prison. He’s out there right now living his life as if nothing ever happened.
His parents are very powerful people, and were able to have their son get away with murder—literally get away with murder.
Right up until the last moments of his life, my dad was a hero, not that that helps much. I lost him forever, after all. The bullet was meant for the storekeeper, but my dad stepped in front, pushing the storekeeper to safety.
Why can’t I have nice dreams about my dad, or more of Clara? Why am I always haunted by that night that changed my life forever?
I would do anything to have my dad back.
“What?” I yell back, my eyes fixed on the screen. She’s going to kill me if she carries on shouting at me.
“Come downstairs,” she yells.
“No... no,” I yell at the screen as I fire frantically at this game. “No... this game is stupid,” I say, throwing the control down, glad I’m getting the new game tomorrow for my birthday. It's meant to be way better than this one.
“Parker,” mom screams. Great, she sounds mad. Hope she doesn’t threaten to take my game back.
“What?” I yell from the top of the stairs.
“I need some milk from the store; can you catch up with dad?” she asks as I head down the stairs toward her.
“Can’t you call him?”
“He left his phone,” she says with his phone in her hand.
“Do I have to?”
“Please,” she sighs. Even with the dim light in the hallway I can see the shadows under her eyes. The flower satin bandana only makes her skin look grayer. Guilt seeps in, Mom is always so positive it’s easy to forget how sick she is.
“Sorry Mom, of course I can,” I say.
“Thanks, Parker. Grab yourself some candy as well.” She smiles as she ruffles my hair. “You need a haircut before your birthday party next week.
“And grab your coat, Parker. There's a chill in the air,” mom says, wrapping her nightgown over herself as she stands with the door open, revealing the dark street lit with streetlights.
“Are you sure I should go by myself?”
“You are eleven tomorrow, and dad’s just left. I will watch from the step.” I've walked to the store on my own before, but this is the first time at night. I grab my coat and head out onto the street. She's right—there is a chill. I pull my coat together, letting the velcro connect and hold it in place.
Gentle drops bounce off my head. It's frigging raining.
I lookback to mom, who, as she said, is on the steps in front of our house with her hands folded.
She waves me on. I run quicker so I can get back quicker.
My sneakers pound on the sidewalk. I miss step and land in a puddle.
Streams of light from car headlights beam along the rain, igniting the drops.
The light rain begins pouring in earnest at the sight of me running, as if it's trying to drown me. At this rate my feet are going to be soaked.
“Dad, wait up,” I yell as his shadow turns into the store, but there's no way he can hear me over the hammering rain.
The sound of a gun going off rips through my ears as if I were standing next to fireworks. I flinch back, away from the sound.
A man darts out of the store and runs straight toward me, with a gun pointing at me.
I freeze.
His eyes flick toward me as he passes me, and he doesn't stop running, as if he's barely seen me.
I release the breath I was holding.
“Parker?” mom screams as she runs barefooted down our front step, toward me. “Edward?” she calls out to my dad.
Dad. I run toward the store. Rain pounds down on my head as my coat flies open.
Dad staggers out of the store with his hand clutching his chest. Other people from the store gather around him.
“Dad... Dad, are you okay?”
“Edward,” mom yells as she gets closer.
Dad’s legs buckle beneath him, and he falls to the ground before anyone can catch him.
I run, dropping to my knees beside him.
“Dad... Dad.”
The color drains from his face, dripping away with each raindrop.
“Call for an ambulance,” mom yells as she crumbles to the ground beside me.
“Angela,” dad says as he opens up his hand for mom’s. His hand is covered in blood. His other hand clutches tightly around a card that shrinks as it becomes more water than card.
A bloody red stain seeps through his white shirt, just below his heart. The rain doesn’t wash it away quickly enough.
He will live, he has to.
“Parker, look after your mom for me,” dad says, passing me the card and resting his hand on top of mine.
“Look after each other,” he says as his eyes close.
“Edward.”
“Dad... Dad!” I scream out, trying not to sob, but as always, tears soak my cheeks, and my bed sheets are wet from sweat.
I try to compose myself, to remember that it was just a dream—well, a dream that really happened. I look over to the red glowing numbers on my alarm clock. I’ve got just enough time for a shower before class.
I’ve run through all the different things I could have done to change the past: I could have stopped my dad from going to the store; or left the house when mom told me to; or maybe stopped Ethan Hastings, the shooter, before he could get to my dad.
Hastings never got sent to prison. He’s out there right now living his life as if nothing ever happened.
His parents are very powerful people, and were able to have their son get away with murder—literally get away with murder.
Right up until the last moments of his life, my dad was a hero, not that that helps much. I lost him forever, after all. The bullet was meant for the storekeeper, but my dad stepped in front, pushing the storekeeper to safety.
Why can’t I have nice dreams about my dad, or more of Clara? Why am I always haunted by that night that changed my life forever?
I would do anything to have my dad back.
About the Author
HJLawson is an English author who currently resides in New York. When she's not writing, she spends her watching movies and hanging out with her family. She is the author of the following young adult books: The War Kids Series and The Sanction Series.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
Blog Tour Organised by:
the signup for newletter is not working tried it on her site also
ReplyDeleteIt sounds so very sad :(
ReplyDeletethe loss of his dad and dealing with bullies
ReplyDeleteThe time traveler and the boy with gifts intrigue me the most.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of time travel intrigues me the most and what they do in the past. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've never read a time travel story that's also about a rescue.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of time travel so this sounds like something I will really enjoy. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI also love time travelling stories.
ReplyDeleteLove the time travelling story arc!
ReplyDeleteohh it sounds great and interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteThe newsletter signup link is broken
ReplyDeleteI love that he can time travel!
ReplyDeleteThe story line is captivating!
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the time travel aspect of the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the cool comments, I hope you all enjoyed the story. Sorry about the sign up link, please use this one http://eepurl.com/N_-Zz or email me at HJLawson1@gmail.com if you would like a free review copy. Hayley
ReplyDeleteTime travel is always so interesting.
ReplyDelete