Title: The Sixth Power
Author: Carol Nicolas
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
ISBN: 9781301877935
ASIN: B00B4MHICQ
Number of pages: 337
Word Count: 99,595
Cover Artist: Emilie Duchesne
Book Description:
Tania Westing, a high school senior, is one of the Gifted
Ones, descendants of an ancient family with seven special powers. Some of the
powers are common, and some are rare.
Until her geneticist brother Tom was murdered, Tania lived an ordinary life. Now hidden in her mind is a clue that will reveal Tom's research, including secret formulas to unlock all seven powers. During spring break, Tania meets and falls in love with handsome Dan Maclean. When Tania reveals her rare power to heal, the evil Gifted Ones who killed Tom suspect Tania has his research and formulas and come after her. Tania must learn to use her powers to help save Dan's sister in time to keep Tom's secrets safe.
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Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Sometimes,
even when you know that death is imminent, you just have to go ahead and
complete your small task in the great plan, Tom
thought as he glided through the still, dark room. His bare feet made no sound on the smooth,
hardwood floor. He felt strange sneaking
around like a thief in his own house.
Tom paused at the ornate chess set on the
living room coffee table. His sister,
who always played white because his dad insisted she have the first move, could
lose in three moves if she wasn’t careful.
Tom moved her bishop. There, that
should buy her some time. Too bad his
own problems weren’t so easily solved.
The grandfather clock ticked steadily in
the elegantly furnished living room. He
had to hurry. He used his Gift and sent
out a mental sweep of the La Jolla neighborhood. None of El Calavera's men were in the area,
though he had spotted them following him earlier that day. He knew they were close and would catch up to
him. He planned to be far from here by
then.
Tom entered the study and sat down at the
family computer where he and his sister had spent many hours playing on-line
games. He accessed his email and opened
a file he had sent earlier from Triumph Genetics Lab. At once the virus he had created began to
destroy all the files in every system.
“Forgive me, Tania. You’ll understand someday.”
He opened the door to his father’s bedroom
and moved noiselessly to the dresser.
His father had set up a shrine there:
a vase of gladiolas and lilies, his mother’s framed picture, her gold
cross on a fine gold chain, and a pair of fat purple candles that illuminated
the room and sent the fragrance of lavender through the air. Three sympathy cards stood open on the
left. In the center was a bronze box
with a plaque engraved with the words ‘Maria Valdez Walters Westing.’
“Mother.”
He kissed his fingers and touched the words.
He glanced at the rumpled bed. His father must have taken a sleeping pill;
his mouth was slightly open and his breathing hoarse and ragged. Tear stains glistened on the side of his
haggard face. Tom bent down and kissed
his father’s forehead. “Love you, Dad,”
he whispered. Sorrow flooded Tom’s heart.
He knew he was about to cause his father even more grief. He touched his father’s forehead and sent a
specific command to his subconscious.
Next, he went to his little sister’s
room. At fourteen years old, Tania was
already a beauty: tall and slender, with
straight black hair that fell past her shoulders, and smooth, light brown
skin. She was so much like their
grandmother. Her eyes were closed, her
breathing slow and peaceful. Her
favorite book, The Lord of the Rings,
lay beside the pillow where it had slipped from her loosely curled fingers, and
her bedside lamp cast a dim glow into in the dark room. He wondered if she ever turned it off at
night now. Even in sleep, she looked a
little sad. His heart ached.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, little Sis. Remember me.
Take care of Dad.”
Tania surprised him when she opened her
large, dark eyes and grinned.
“Gotcha! You thought I was
asleep, didn’t you?” She sat up and wrapped
her arms around him. “Are you home for
the weekend?”
“No, I just stopped to say goodbye.” He
squeezed her tight, memorizing her.
She sniffed. “You smell weird.”
He sighed, released her, and sat down next
to her on the edge of the bed. Tania
was much too observant, but he would let her play their game. “Go ahead.
Deduce.”
Tania’s eyes twinkled as she studied
him. “You’re wearing old clothes, and
you smell like smoke, sea brine, and sweat.
There are ashes in your hair.
Your left forefinger and thumb are red.
Your sleeves and cuffs are wet at the edges. Therefore, you and some of your fellow profs
-- no, make that your two buddies at the lab -- those other dolts are much too
stuffy to do something fun -- had a hot dog roast at the beach before you came here. Whatever you used for wood had a lot of
chemicals in it. You got a little too
close to the fire. Try using a coat
hanger next time.”
He grinned.
“Very good, my dear Sherlock. The
hot dogs were delicious. We even tossed
the football around.” He was dressed in
his darkest jeans, a faded black t-shirt, and a black wool coat, but it was
more for camouflage than anything else.
There hadn’t been time to clean up before he’d come from the lab. He wouldn’t tell her what he had really been
doing there.
Tania reached out and tugged gently on his
long, tangled hair. “It’s grown since I
saw you last. If you stick around, I
could cut it for you tomorrow.”
Tania looked so hopeful, but he shook his
head. “No. I can't stay.”
She frowned. “Where are you going?”
He brushed a strand of her hair away from
her face and tucked it behind her ear.
Sorrow clenched his heart, but he didn’t let on. “Away.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she took his
hand. “I love you, Tom.” Her words were underscored with a yearning
for him to stay, as if those words were strong enough to bring him back home
for good, strong enough to heal the rift between him and his father, and make
them all a real family again. But
nothing could do that now. Their
mother’s ashes were three months cold, and soon he would be with her.
“I love you too, more than you know.” With all his heart he wished he could be
there to see her grow up and fulfill her enormous potential. Like Tom and the others of their mother's
family, Tania had inherited many of the usual Gifts. But Tania was special. His genetic studies had revealed that not
only did she have her mother's DNA for the extremely rare gift to heal, but she
also had the DNA that would signal the pituitary to secrete the hormone that
would activate the Gift. Tania would
become a great healer.
As yet, Tania was untrained and barely
aware of her Gifts. All their mother had
been allowed to do was to teach her to how to hide her uniqueness, to blend in
with the normal population. For her own
safety, Tania would have to remain that way until Aunt Sarah decided
otherwise. The research which he had
conducted with DNA samples from those with the Gifts, including his startling
discoveries which he had planned to share with Aunt Sarah, would have to remain
hidden as well. He was out of time.
Tom took Tania's hand and turned it so that
the ruby in the delicate gold ring glittered in the lamplight. This ring was more than just a symbol of the
powerful Valdez family; it would shield her mind from those who sought to probe
her thoughts. In a few years, when Tania
would begin training in her Gifts, she would learn to actively protect
herself. Aunt Sarah and the others would
keep her safe until then. “Promise me
that you’ll always wear this ring.”
Tania squeezed his hand. Her eyes were sad. “I promise.”
The clock struck the half hour. Tom had to get out.
He picked up the book from beside her
pillow, removed her bookmark, and opened it to the page he needed. The
Lord of the Rings had been one of their favorite stories as children. They had spent so many hours playing
together. He smiled. “Remember how we used to pretend to be Frodo
and Sam on the way to Mount Doom?”
“Yeah.”
Tania grinned.
“We also used to make up riddles for Bilbo
to use on Gollum.”
“Those were great times.”
He looked out the window and blinked back
tears. He would never see his sister
again. His hand rested on the page as he
recited. “‘All that is gold does not
glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not
wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be
woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was
broken, the crownless again shall be king.’
Remember that, Sis. Listen with
your heart to find the truth.”
Tania’s eyes were on his face, so she
didn’t see how he pulled a bookmark from his pocket, inserted it into the book
at the passage he had just quoted, and then slipped her bookmark into his
pocket. Keep it safe, he silently commanded. He looked down at her, wishing there was more
he could do. Then he placed two
fingertips at her temple and whispered, “Na
dolen.” The command would keep her
from remembering this conversation until she needed it.
Her eyes blinked in blank, sleepy
surprise. “Tom?”
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A book's cover is not that important. I wouldn't buy or read a book based solely on the cover. However, A cover can draw my attention to a book that I would have otherwise not noticed.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so important; the blurb and the story are much more important to me. Thanks for this giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteFor me a book cover is very important, not as much as the story or a recommendation by a good friend. However if I'm not sure which book to buy between two good books, I would probably go with the one which attracted me the most
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I hope you enjoy the book!
ReplyDeletethe book covers are what drawls me to the book, sometimes.. I usually read what a book is about, though... I have seen some covers look really good but not interest me in the story and then some covers not be so good but the story sounds good...
ReplyDeleteIt is not as important to me as what the book is about, but sometimes I will buy books just because of the covers. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments. I too look at the cover and read the inside blurb. Sometimes I'll read the first chapter too. I hope you'll give The Sixth Power a chance.
ReplyDeleteI think book cover is like the first impression about a person, it's the appearance. but really it doesn't matter that much, at least later.. so yes, blurb and the actual book is much more important :)
ReplyDeleteKarina V
I am a person that will completely judge a book by its cover. If I fall in love with the cover or it intrigues me I will definitely read the book. 9 times out of 10 I won't even read the blurb if I love the cover. However I will read books from recommendations and from reviews I read on blogs and book sites. I think a book cover can truly sell the story. Of course there are times when I shame myself for not giving a book a chance because I didn't like the cover and then someone tells me it was awesome. The cover of this one has me intrigued for sure. And of course I read the blurb which has me even more interested so I will definitely be checking this one out.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteIt's minor for me; what's really important is to me, is the blurb. Thanks for this giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteFor me, cover is important, because I'm a cover lover. Sometimes, I bought a book just because the cover is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAnd this book, I have to say I love the cover.
Thanks for this awesome giveaway.
A cover is very important to me because it is the first thing I see. If the cover is unattractive or doesn't catch my eye, chances are I'm not going to pick up the book to see what it is about. I can usually tell when a book is or isn't for me, but there are some cases in which the cover did not appeal to me but I loved the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Thanks to everyone who commented, and thank you to Sabina for doing this spotlight on my book, The Sixth Power. Sabina, I hope you will be feeling better soon!
ReplyDelete