Today I’m thrilled to be featuring an excerpt from Ethos, Equinox by Desiree Finkbeiner. You may recall that I featured the first book in the series, Morning Star, back in May, so it’s great to be able to do the sequel as well. The final installment will be out in early 2013.
Ethos, Equinox by Desiree Finkbeiner
Here’s a taste for you:
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We hiked down through the trees towards the camp, trying to keep quiet. I counted a few Jeeps, a couple four wheelers, and a rugged camouflage military vehicle with a satellite receiver affixed to the roof. There were footprints in the dirt surrounding the extinguished camp fire, leading off in all directions as if they had been camped there for some time—maybe a few weeks.
“What are you doing up here?” We were startled by a strong male voice with what sounded like a thick African accent, coming from the trees. I spun around and looked up to see a large, dark-skinned man sitting in a deer stand—so dark that the white of his eyes looked like alabaster set into ebony, his irises nearly black. He had a closely shaven head, was armed with rifle, and had a radio slung over his shoulder. He wore camouflage and combat boots. “This trail is closed.”
I glanced at Kalen, who was eying the man down with a discerning glare. “If it’s closed, then why are you here?” he shot back with a challenge.
“I work with the forest department.” He spoke authoritatively. “You have no business being here.” He pointed towards the parking lot where the RV was parked. “Go back where you came from. There are other places to hike.”
“We’re not here to hike.” Kalen stood his ground. “We’re here to see Brach.”
The man lifted his rifle and aimed it at Kalen. “Who sent you?”
“Hunter.”
The man stood there for a moment, sizing us up, but kept his rifle aimed at Kalen. Without taking his eyes off of us, he reached for his radio and spoke in a foreign dialect. Though I wasn’t sure what language he was speaking or what country it came from, I understood every word. It was definitely an Earth language, something from Africa, but he didn’t realize I could understand him. “Brach, there are people down here at the camp looking for you. They claim Hunter sent them. What do you want me to do with them?”
“Who are they? What do they want?” A deep voice sounded from the radio.
“What is your business?” The man relayed in English.
“We will only speak with Brach,” Kalen demanded.
“You will tell me, or I will kill you.”
Kalen smiled, stepping in front of me. “Your bullets are no good on us. Take us to Brach; we have news for the Rise.”
He glared at us for a moment, then called back on the radio, in the foreign dialect. “It’s about the Rise. They insist on seeing you. Two female, one male. They do not appear to be armed. What are your orders?”
There was a long pause before a response finally came, “Shoot them.”
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Okay, I’ve got shivers up my spine! I can vouch for how good the first book was so I can’t wait to read this one, especially with a snippet like that to whet my appetite.
Equinox will be released in the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, if you haven’t read the first book yet, you can find Morning Star on Amazon in paperback or ebook.
About the author
Desiree Finkbeiner attained a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Missouri Southern State University (2006) with a heavy background in business, marketing, music and fine art– She was heavily involved in campus affairs and served actively in several committees focusing on campus entertainment and events.
She had a scholarship for acting in college though she was not a theatre major. Although she no longer performs or focuses on musical/performing arts, she has chosen to shift her talents to other areas that are more conducive to raising a family.
Continuing education is a constant adventure for Desiree with topics of interest ranging from civil and corporate law, history, political conspiracy, homeopathic medicine and spiritual healing. She prefers to read non-fiction, especially on topics that educate and broaden her perspectives on controversial issues.
With thousands of completed art works in her archives, most of which appear in private collections worldwide, Desiree hopes to focus more on publishing, marketing and licensing her work so she can leave a legacy behind.
