{"id":1925,"date":"2016-04-08T00:01:33","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T04:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.matthewcoxbooks.com\/wordpress\/?p=1925"},"modified":"2016-04-07T19:46:45","modified_gmt":"2016-04-07T23:46:45","slug":"1925","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matthewcoxbooks.com\/wordpress\/2016\/04\/08\/1925\/","title":{"rendered":"Cover Reveal | Hair In All the Wrong Places"},"content":{"rendered":"
Greetings all,<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I’m happy to be participating in the cover reveal for Andrew’s upcoming paranormal tale about a kid who gets a little more than the usual explosion of hair at puberty. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this one yet, though I have read his earlier books. Anyone who likes the type of humor found in Monty Python and in Douglas Adams books should check out Stiltskin and Death, The Devil, and the Goldfish. You won’t be disappointed!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Today Andrew Buckley and Month9Books are\u00a0revealing the cover and first chapter for HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES! which\u00a0releases June 7, 2016!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Check out the awesome cover and enter to be one of the\u00a0first readers to receive an eGalley!!<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Here\u2019s a message from the author.<\/span><\/div>\n

Hair in All the Wrong Places is the result of a\u00a0misspent childhood watching late night movies about werewolves and other\u00a0creatures that go bump in the night. The story follows Colin Strauss; an\u00a0outsider in the small town of Elkwood who, in addition to dealing with the\u00a0struggles of puberty, also finds himself being turned into a werewolf. As if\u00a0dealing with homework, bullies, and an unrealistic crush on the hot goth girl\u00a0wasn\u2019t enough! I love this cover because it perfectly captures Colin\u2019s\u00a0character and his discovery that he might indeed be growing hair in all the
\nwrong places.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Title:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES<\/span><\/div>\n
Author:<\/span><\/b> Andrew\u00a0Buckley<\/span><\/div>\n
Pub. Date:<\/span><\/b> June 7, 2016<\/span><\/div>\n
Publisher:<\/span><\/b> Month9Books<\/span><\/div>\n
Format:<\/span><\/b> Paperback
\n& eBook<\/span><\/div>\n
Find it:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>Amazon<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>B&N<\/span><\/a>
\n| <\/span>TBD<\/span><\/a> |
\nBAM<\/a>
\n|Kobo<\/a>
\n| Google
\nPlay Books<\/a> | iBooks<\/a>
\n| <\/span>Goodreads<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
What has he done?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
What’s happening to\u00a0him?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
And what on Earth is that smell?<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
For Colin Strauss, puberty stinks.
\nBlackouts, hallucinations, and lapses in memory are the perils of growing up
\nwerewolf. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Worse than that, Colin worries he might\u00a0have had something to do with the recent attacks on townspeople. He may have\u00a0eaten a person. It doesn\u2019t matter that it\u2019s someone he doesn\u2019t particularly\u00a0like. What kind of boy goes around eating people?<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Foolishly, all Colin can think about is\u00a0how Becca Emerson finally kissed him for the first time. Yep. Hormones are\u00a0afoot. Or at hand. Yikes. <\/span><\/div>\n

But girls will have to wait. Collin\u00a0better get himself under control before someone else ends up hurt . . . or\u00a0worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Excerpt<\/b>
\n
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
\n

First, a word of warning \u2026I don\u2019t want to get too scientific here, but there are a few things you should know before you sink your teeth into this book. I\u2019ve tried to keep it simple enough that anyone twelve and up could read and understand it. Werewolves were everywhere in Europe in the late sixteenth century. Go to a party, there would be a werewolf. Go to work, you\u2019re probably working next to a werewolf. Bump into a stranger on the street\u2014werewolf!<\/p>\n

They were slowly killed off in Europe as the true nature of a werewolf is a terribly hard thing to control. Eventually you get that urge to eat someone. And let\u2019s face it; eating people is just rude.<\/p>\n

Now here\u2019s the scary bit, the bit that concerns you. While werewolves ceased to be a part of the world, they didn\u2019t necessarily leave it. On the contrary, humans evolved to repress the werewolf gene out of the fear they would be decapitated, shot with a silver bullet, burned alive, or a terrifying combination of all three. What this means is that every single human being is still carrying the werewolf gene. You, right now, sitting right where you are, has the werewolf gene swimming around somewhere inside of you.<\/p>\n

Genes are strings of DNA. DNA makes you who you are. You have that werewolf gene inside you. It\u2019s just not active. Not yet.<\/p>\n

To fully activate that werewolf gene, you\u2019d have to be bitten by another werewolf, someone who turns into a giant wolf-like creature when there\u2019s a full moon. So fear not! As long as no one has bitten you recently, you\u2019re likely okay.<\/p>\n

So why this warning? You\u2019re probably thinking there\u2019s no chance I\u2019ll turn into a werewolf because I haven\u2019t been bitten. That is absolutely true. However, while it\u2019s impossible to turn into a werewolf unless you\u2019re bitten, it is very possible to awaken that sleeping werewolf gene by learning too much about them. This book will teach you a lot about those hairy creatures of the night, so I want you to be extra careful while reading it.<\/p>\n

If you notice any of the following things, stop reading immediately:<\/p>\n

– You find yourself looking at other humans and thinking lunch.<\/p>\n

– You start to notice smells you never smelled before.<\/p>\n

– You growl at people instead of talking to them.<\/p>\n

– Your nails begin to grow at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n

– You scratch your head in public using your leg.<\/p>\n

– You greet your friends at the bus stop by sniffing their butts.<\/p>\n

– You begin to grow hair in all the wrong places.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been warned.<\/p>\n

Chapter One
\nLoser<\/p>\n

Colin looked directly into the reflection staring back at him from the bathroom mirror and with absolute conviction said, \u201cYou are a loser.\u201d<\/p>\n

His reflection agreed.<\/p>\n

Much as he had done almost every day for the last year, Colin evaluated his body. He was tall for a thirteen year old, with lanky limbs and broad pointy shoulders that bordered on skeletal. His face looked to be at odds with the rest of his body with its gaunt features and perpetually dark circles beneath the eyes. Pale skin stood in stark opposition to his unruly dark and stringy hair. Trying to sharpen his vision, he squinted before fumbling with his glasses.<\/p>\n

His reflection didn\u2019t look any better with them on.<\/p>\n

After drying off, Colin got dressed and headed downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you dressed like that?\u201d snapped his grandmother from her usual place in front of the TV. She hadn\u2019t even looked at him yet, not that it mattered. Colin didn\u2019t know what was more disturbing: that despite his grandmother being completely blind, she still watched TV religiously and commented on his clothes every day, or that he still felt the need to defend his choice of clothing to her. He was wearing jeans and an oversized hoody.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s school today, Grandmother. I\u2019m dressed for school,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that!\u201d she spat.<\/p>\n

Nothing wrong with her hearing, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need anything?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

His grandmother sipped tea from a china cup. \u201cI can take care of myself, you little ingrate. Get to school. You\u2019re going to be late. If you don\u2019t get an education, I\u2019ll never get your lazy butt out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no point in arguing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd comb your hair before leaving the house. I don\u2019t want people thinking I\u2019m raising a hobo!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As Colin walked past the living room, his grandmother turned around in her chair and stared in his general direction with gray eyes damaged irreparably by cataracts. Blind eyes followed him as he walked to the door as quickly as he was able. It wasn\u2019t until he was outside with the door firmly closed behind him that he allowed himself to breathe again.<\/p>\n

Colin\u2019s grandmother had always terrified him. He couldn\u2019t remember a time when she wasn\u2019t blind or cruel. Colin\u2019s parents lived in Seattle and over the past thirteen years had managed to have as little to do with their only son as humanly possible. They were young when his mother had discovered she was pregnant, and the following nine months had put a severe dent in their career plans. They were both up-and-coming lawyers at large firms, and as soon as they could be rid of Colin, they\u2019d passed him off from one distant relative to another. Beyond that, they had no parental aspirations whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Just over a year ago, after a short stint living with an uncle and aunt in Ohio, Colin had been sent to the small town of Elkwood to live with his only living close relative\u2014his grandmother, Beatrice Strauss.<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t welcomed him, there were no hugs, no loving relationship, just a bitter old woman who spent most of her days parked in front of the TV and commenting on what a disappointment Colin was. He\u2019d tried to help her, but she never wanted it. Despite being blind, she was more than able to get around and take care of herself. The only time she left the house was to attend the monthly town hall meetings to which he was never invited.<\/p>\n

Colin was twenty feet from the bus stop when the school bus flew by. The mocking grins of students plastered the bus\u2019s back window as it disappeared over the hill. Thankfully, the school was centrally located, which meant he\u2019d be only slightly late.<\/p>\n

On his way to school, Colin passed Mrs. Flipple, a kind old lady who walked her tiny, yappy dog, Jinx, each morning, rain or shine. As per usual, Jinx went straight for Colin, yapping in that high-pitched bark that only small, irritating dogs can make. Colin nodded politely to the old lady and held on to a secret hatred for that little dog.<\/p>\n

The town was always overcast, and it rained almost every day of the year, which suited Colin\u2019s depressed personality. He was thankful he didn\u2019t live in a warmer climate as he\u2019d have a much harder time being pale and awkward.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d survived the seventh grade at Elkwood School with above-average grades and a below-average number of friends. He was still considered a stranger here. His lack of personality, athleticism, and sense of humor didn\u2019t help in the slightest. He wasn\u2019t handsome enough to be popular or ugly enough to be ignored. He was just weird enough that students could be heard wondering aloud about him as he walked by. Now in the second week of his eighth grade year, Colin had one sort of friend, one unrealistic crush, and was the constant focus of several bullies who were determined to make his life miserable.<\/p>\n

Loser.<\/p>\n

He reached Elkwood School just as the second bell rang to indicate the start of classes. On average, each grade at the school contained only twenty to thirty students, and because of a limited number of teachers, some classes taught more than one grade or subject.<\/p>\n

As Colin ran up the steps to the main entrance, a dark, looming shape confronted him. He looked up into the face of Principal Hebert.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re late again, Mr. Strauss.\u201d His voice sounded like rumbling thunder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Hebert. I missed the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I admire your use of a classical excuse, I\u2019d prefer if you\u2019d made an attempt at originality. Had you been more creative, I would not feel the need to place you in detention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really sor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut as you\u2019re still trying to apologize rather than give me something interesting to work with, I\u2019ll be seeing you after school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin studied his feet carefully. \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRun along.\u201d Mr. Hebert gestured, pushing his hand ahead of him in a forward motion.<\/p>\n

Colin made his way into the building and chanced a glance back to see Principal Hebert slowly shaking his head. Hebert was a former marine and rumored war hero who had retired to Elkwood almost ten years ago and although he had absolutely no qualifications had been appointed as the school principal. He was a massive hulk of a man with the sort of physique that suggested he could bend large metal things with his bare hands. Principal Hebert was a firm believer in detention and hard work and often liked to combine the two. Most detentions involved cleaning something. Colin made a mental note that his day was not off to a rip-roaring start.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t get any worse.<\/p>\n

Colin\u2019s day quickly got worse.<\/p>\n

He moved down an empty corridor, his sneakers squeaking loudly on the clean laminate flooring before entering the last classroom on the right.<\/p>\n

The entire class turned to look at him. Some groaned, others laughed, a few smirked. Mrs. Davenport was the substitute teacher again today for Biology, and she greeted him with a warm smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Colin. Please take a seat. We were just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin shuffled over to his seat next to Jeremy Rodson, the only person in Elkwood Colin could refer to as a friend. Everyone liked Jeremy even though he had never really joined one particular group. He played on the basketball team, so the jocks liked him. He was smart and maintained decent grades, so he was accepted by the smart kids. He was a good actor, so the creative types liked him. Colin had met him on his first day, and Jeremy had introduced him to the school. With so many commitments, Jeremy wasn\u2019t always around, so Colin was still forced to maintain his unhappy, loner lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Mr. Winter again?\u201d Colin asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently he\u2019s sick,\u201d said Jeremy and grinned. \u201cWhy are you so late?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMissed the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDetention again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPay attention, boys,\u201d said Mrs. Davenport with a smile. She was flipping through a PowerPoint presentation about pheromones.<\/p>\n

As the only substitute teacher in the small Elkwood School, Mrs. Davenport was never short of work. She was also the kindest teacher that Colin had ever encountered. Her presence had a calming effect on the students that Mr. Winter could never manage.<\/p>\n

Mr. Winter was a jerk. It wasn\u2019t just Colin\u2019s opinion but more of a collective agreement throughout the entire school, including the teachers. An uptight individual in his late thirties, he had a particular hatred for students, teaching, other teachers, and did I mention, students? A few years ago, Mr. Winter\u2019s entire family\u2014wife, parents, grandparents\u2014had been killed in a car accident, and rumor had it that the insurance settlement had been sizeable. The rumor quickly proved true when Mr. Winter started travelling the better part of the school year.<\/p>\n

\u201cPheromones indicate the availability of a female for breeding.\u201d Mrs. Davenport was met with a round of sniggers. \u201cWell, it\u2019s true,\u201d she said calmly. \u201cAll animals excrete pheromones, and they can indicate a variety of things. Anything from sex to marking territory, and it can even act as a defense mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cColin, you should get yourself some pheromones,\u201d said Gareth Dugan from behind a textbook. His cronies laughed in honor of their leader\u2019s display of wit.<\/p>\n

Gareth was a bully with scraggly hair and a troubled complexion. Having been raised on a farm on the outskirts of Elkwood, Gareth had always struck Colin as being quite large for his age. Gareth didn\u2019t like Colin, but then, the feeling was mutual.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would I need pheromones?\u201d shot back Colin. \u201cYour smell already overpowers everything in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

That probably wasn\u2019t smart.\u2019<\/p>\n

The entire room agreed with him by sitting in absolute silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough,\u201d said Mrs. Davenport and cheerfully continued to describe other chemical factors that trigger social responses.<\/p>\n

Colin dared a glance back to see Gareth glaring at him like a lion eyeing an injured antelope.<\/p>\n

Gareth would inevitably seek revenge. Colin didn\u2019t need a chemical factor to trigger a social response. All he had to do was open his mouth.<\/p>\n

He tried his best to concentrate on his textbook, opened at random, but his thoughts remained fixed on how to save himself a beating Jeremy, who remained happily oblivious and completely free of any such dealings, leaned over enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you take a look at Tori yet? Classic Tori outfit.\u201d He grinned and subtly tilted his head backward. Having developed earlier than any other girl in school, Tori was the blond bombshell of Elkwood. Okay, she was more like a small nuclear explosion. To aid the raging hormones of teenage boys, she made a habit of wearing low-cut shirts complimented by extremely short skirts.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Davenport turned to the whiteboard, and Colin glanced back three rows on the right to see Tori conveniently perched on the edge of her stool wearing a short powder-blue skirt and knee-high boots.<\/p>\n

Colin\u2019s eyes followed the curves of her body upward until he realized she was looking directly at him with a wry smile. He blushed instantly, but the awkward moment was suddenly interrupted as a textbook smashed into the side of his head, sending his glasses skittering across the desk and onto the floor.<\/p>\n

The class laughed as Colin slipped from his stool and crawled around in front of the desk, searching for his glasses.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Davenport whirled around, spied Colin on the floor, and asked, \u201cWhat was that? Colin, what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Mrs. Davenport. Just looking for my glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bell rang before any further interrogation could be made, and the class headed for the exit. Colin still couldn\u2019t find his glasses.<\/p>\n

Ironic. If I was wearing my glasses, I\u2019d have no trouble finding them.<\/p>\n

The side of his head was throbbing from where the textbook had struck him. No doubt Gareth or one of his minions to thank for that.<\/p>\n

Colin stood and came face-to-face with Becca Emerson, his heartbeat doubling in speed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found your glasses,\u201d she said, handing them over.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, thanks, B-Becca.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rest of the class had cleared out. He put on his glasses, and she came into focus. Around his height with fiery red hair and pale skin, Becca displayed a standoffishness that made most people avoid her. She wasn\u2019t developed like Tori, but neither were most cover models. Becca was a little like Jeremy in that she didn\u2019t associate with any one group, but where he belonged to everyone, she tended to avoid all people. Her dad was some sort of government worker, which translated to \u201cspy\u201d to most middle schoolers.<\/p>\n

Becca always wore dark makeup and dark clothes making her look paler than she actually was. She maintained high grades, avoided large groups, and Colin had loved her since he first saw her. It was, of course, a secret love because there was no way he could ever work up the nerve to do anything about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you okay?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Oh, that voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah. Just another head wound. Probably won\u2019t be the last.\u201d He attempted a half-hearted grin.<\/p>\n

They awkwardly stared at each other as Colin\u2019s mind raced for something smart to say.<\/p>\n

What do I say? You\u2019re gorgeous? Want to share a slushee? Marry me?<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, well have a good day,\u201d said Becca, and left.<\/p>\n

Smooth, Strauss. Very smooth.<\/p>\n

Not the most suave guy at the best of times, Colin managed to be even less so around Becca. How would he ever be able to ask her out, let alone have an entire conversation with her if he didn\u2019t even manage to open his mouth?<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Having made it to last period unscathed, Colin was busy staring at Becca as the minutes on the clock clicked by while he planned his escape. He would have to move fast, get out of the school, and off the grounds. He\u2019d skip the bus altogether\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cWonder what Hebert\u2019s going to have you do for detention today? My money is on cleaning the gym floor,\u201d said Jeremy.<\/p>\n

Detention!<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so screwed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that bad, just cleaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that,\u201d groaned Colin. \u201cGareth got detention in third period.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell at least you\u2019ll have company,\u201d said Jeremy unhelpfully.<\/p>\n

The bell rang, and Colin\u2019s heart skipped a beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust once Jer, just once I\u2019d love to be as oblivious as you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got detention today, Colin?\u201d asked Becca.<\/p>\n

Colin almost dropped his books. He hadn\u2019t noticed her approach. \u201cUh, yeah. I was late today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was wondering if I could talk to you. Alone. I can walk you to your detention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to run anyway. Catch ya later.\u201d And with that, Jeremy bounced off.<\/p>\n

\u201cY-yeah, of course,\u201d said Colin. This was new territory. Other than the occasional passing pleasantry, Colin had never had a full conversation with Becca. They walked down the south corridor toward the detention room at the back of the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it hasn\u2019t been easy for you,\u201d said Becca without looking at him. \u201cIt must be strange to move here. Most people are born here these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah, I\u2019ve heard that. No one ever moves to Elkwood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people here aren\u2019t open-minded. They only know what they know. And who they know. This probably isn\u2019t making any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I mean, yeah. Well. No, no it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becca turned to him. Her eyes were a deep hazel color, he\u2019d never noticed before. She put a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly his insides were on fire. It was only a moment, but Colin felt as if she was looking through him.<\/p>\n

Colin was way beyond his comfort zone and didn\u2019t know what to do. Was he supposed to say something? Did she want him to kiss her? Or was he misunderstanding her? When it came to reading girls, he was dyslexic. On the flipside, Becca Emerson was actually touching him! With her actual hand! But then she took her hand away and for a moment looked sad.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Colin. I thought maybe \u2026 but no.\u201d She sighed. \u201cI don\u2019t know if you\u2019ll ever be able to see things clearly here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin had no idea what she was talking about; he was still reeling from her touch and for once actually managed to say something. \u201cMaybe you could help me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Did I just say that?<\/p>\n

What was he thinking?<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to go. My dad will wonder where I am. Good luck in detention.\u201d<\/p>\n

And just like that, she was gone.<\/p>\n

The ominous voice of Principal Hebert floated down the hallway. \u201cNice of you to join us, Mr. Strauss. Are you going to just stand there, or do I need to drag you into detention?\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin entered the room, noting the other attendees. Two students, Micah and Nathaniel Cross, otherwise known as the goth twins. They were pale with black tattoos, long black coats, tight black clothing, and permanent frowns plastered across their faces. Gareth sat with his feet up, smirking at Colin.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen up,\u201d began Principal Hebert. \u201cYou\u2019re here because you did something or you didn\u2019t do something. All I care about is what you do from here on out. Gareth and Colin, you\u2019re on garbage cleanup. Nathaniel and Micah, you\u2019ll be sweeping the gym floor. One hour, people, and then I expect you back for dismissal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin\u2019s heart sank in his chest, down his legs, and through the floor. He was a dead man.<\/p>\n

Gareth clapped his hands with false cheer. \u201cAll right, Colin, buddy. Let\u2019s get to it!\u201d<\/p>\n

They grabbed a couple of garbage bags and headed outside. Without saying a word, Gareth just started picking up garbage. Colin, braced for an attack and watched him for a moment before hesitantly bending to the task too. \u2019It was getting dark, and the rain made the job all the more miserable.<\/p>\n

After half an hour, Gareth had vanished around the other side of the building, and Colin began to think that maybe he had been worrying needlessly.<\/p>\n

As he rounded a corner toward the back of the school, he saw his mistake. Sam Bale and Kevin Hadfield were sitting on one of the permanent picnic benches. They both looked menacing, as usual. Backtracking quickly, Colin turned and bumped into Gareth who shoved him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you going, buddy?\u201d He spat that last word.<\/p>\n

Colin dropped his garbage bag and backed right into Sam and Kevin, who were standing behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have to do this,\u201d pleaded Colin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t belong here, Colin,\u201d said Gareth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. You\u2019ve told me before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gareth stabbed a finger to his chest. \u201cAnd that smart mouth of yours really doesn\u2019t belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s attached to the rest of my body; I really don\u2019t have a choice in the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gareth faked a punch, and Colin flinched.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, just tell me what to do,\u201d begged Colin, fighting to keep the tears at bay. He\u2019d been here before; he knew what was coming.<\/p>\n

Kevin and Sam grabbed one of Colin\u2019s arms while Gareth stood inches from his face. His breath stank. \u201cI want you to go away. That\u2019s all. You don\u2019t belong here. Sooner or later you\u2019ll get the message.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gareth punched him hard twice in the stomach and then once in the kidneys. Colin dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. Sam and Kevin began kicking him and then stripped him down to his underwear until finally, they left. Colin lay sobbing on the cold ground, half-naked and in pain.<\/p>\n

This had been Colin\u2019s life for over a year. Feeling like he\u2019d failed at life in general, Colin had been reduced to living in a state of constant fear and humiliation. He had suffered bullying and his grandmother\u2019s hatred.<\/p>\n

Colin knew he was a loser, but he hated that everyone else knew it too.<\/p>\n

The only positive he could think of was Becca and the strange, brief conversation they had shared. He picked himself up, feeling his bruised ribs, wincing as he walked barefoot across the parking lot away from the school. Hebert would be angry that he didn\u2019t return for the end of detention, but he didn\u2019t care. He didn\u2019t intend to come back. He had to do something or he was going to end up dying here in Elkwood.<\/p>\n

Colin decided he had to go to Seattle to see his parents.<\/p>\n

Tonight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver\u00a0Film School\u2019s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and\u00a0developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in\u00a0marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content\u00a0writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE\u00a0DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He\u00a0works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press. <\/span><\/div>\n
Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie\u00a0podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other\u00a0ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one\u00a0cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live\u00a0comfortably inside of his mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb\u00a0at the Trident Media Group.<\/span><\/span>Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Goodreads<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Giveaway Details:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

1 winner will receive an eGalley of HAIR\u00a0IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES. <\/span><\/p>\n

International.<\/span><\/p>\n

a Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>
\n