Talking about myself

So, I recently had the honor of being interviewed on Kristina Hall's blog, if you want to check it out, here's the post.

They Call Her Ella: releasing in 30 days-and preview of the first chapter.

 

Ella Morris was an average teenager, or so it seemed. In truth, she was better known as Agent 428 of the Grimly Family, a third party, covert operations group.

Taken in by the G.F. at the age of six, by thirteen, she became one of the youngest operatives to be placed out in the field.

But on her first high-level mission, she is plunged into the confusing reality of deciphering outward displays of loyalty, where the wrong move could mean losing everything.

Everyone has their secrets. Some shape others.

They Call Her Ella (The Grimly Family book 1) 

Trailer:

Prologue

The gun pressed against her forehead was as steady as the gaze of the man holding it, but it didn’t make her as uncomfortable as most people would expect. “I’m going to ask you one last time,” he growled, bending down so he was face-to-face with her. “Who sent you? Or things are going to get… very uncomfortable for you.”

Tilting her head, she pretended to think the question over as her nails tapped on the armrests of the chair her arms were tied to. There were four of the men, one standing in front of her, and his three buddies behind her. 

Once she made her move, she was going to have to neutralize them all before they could fully react. But from what she’d seen of them so far, she wasn’t too worried.

“You want to know who sent me?” she repeated, glancing around as tears began to form in her eyes. “I… I can’t tell you that. They’ll… they’ll kill me.” She let a small whimper escape her, and the man moved a little closer. 

“But… but I can tell you that… that you’re an absolute idiot.”

Without warning, she slammed the top of her head forward and into his face. From the cry of pain, she guessed she’d probably broken his nose. But she didn’t want to find out as she twisted her arms and yanked them free.

The next second, she brought her feet up and stood on the chair, then with a quick twist, she pivoted the chair around and threw herself at one of the other men as he took a step toward her.

She wrapped her legs around his neck, then she twisted around and brought him to the ground. She wasn’t surprised when he fought back and pounded his fists against her legs. But she barely paid him any attention as she reached over and grabbed his assault rifle off the ground and proceeded to sit up and smack him on the head with it, knocking him unconscious.

Barely pausing, she rolled across the ground and back onto her feet. Dodging to the left as one of the other men came at her, she dropped down into a squatting position and brought her leg around, sweeping the man’s legs out from under him.

Using the momentum of the kick, she spun around and back onto her feet.

The next second, she felt one of the men grab her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and pinning her arms to her sides. Twisting to the side, she propelled herself up the nearest wall, breaking out of the man’s grip and throwing herself over the top of him.

As soon as she got her footing again, she slammed her foot down against his knee, causing him to curse as his other knee buckled. Pivoting around, she picked up the chair she’d been tied to and smashed it over the man.

Picking up two of the broken legs of the chair, she spun them around like batons as she turned toward her last two opponents. “So… which one of you wants to go first?” she asked, giving them a sweet smile. 

Then she attacked, and within a matter of seconds, both men were on the ground moaning from their most likely broken bones with her kneeling between the two of them. She blew her hair out of her face, stood up, and brushed the dirt off her pants. 

There was a low groaning sound a second before the walls around her started to rise up, revealing at least a dozen or so men and women in suits, surrounding the small ‘interrogation’ room.

One of the older women, wearing a gray pinstriped dress suit, stepped toward her, smiling. “Well done, Agent 428,” she said. “Your conduct during this training session was exemplary, I must say!”

Agent 428 gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Godmother,” she said, running her hand through her hair. “I’m glad it was up to your standards.” She huffed. “Though they did give me a good workout.”

“Indeed!” Godmother said, nodding. “Agent 384, water please.”

Without any warning, a water bottle came flying through the air toward Agent 428, who caught it, twisted the cap off, and gulped down half of it in one breath. She hadn’t realized until then how thirsty she’d gotten during the RTI (resistance to interrogation) training.

Godmother laughed as several of the other agents went to help the men Agent 428 had… taught a lesson to. “I’m just glad these were hired men and not my own agents you wiped the floor with,” she said, shaking her head. 

“If they were your agents, I would hope they would have done a little bit better than that,” 428 said, rolling her eyes as she nodded toward the men. “They could learn a thing or two while they’re here.”

“I have no intentions of them staying that long,” Godmother said, frowning. “Come, 428, I would like to speak to you privately in my office.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Agent 428 said, saluting her before she clasped her hands behind her back and took a step back, out of Godmother’s way. Godmother stepped past her and headed out of the large room and toward one of the exits, expecting 428 to follow without question or hesitating, which she did.

A minute later, 428 found herself sitting in front of Godmother’s desk as the older woman seemed to be studying her. Finally, Godmother’s face broke into a smile again. “Agent 428, it brings me great pleasure to inform you that I do believe you are ready to be put out in the field.”

428 perked up at that. “Ma’am?”

“Congratulations, you are now Ella Maria Morris,” Godmother said, handing her a file from a pile on her desk. “I know, not your typical thirteenth birthday present, but happy birthday anyway, Agent. You leave in the morning.”

428 grinned at her as she took the file and stood up. “And what about the Grimly Family is ever ‘typical’?”

Preorder here: They Call Her Ella