Party Rock is in the House Tonight...

  Hey, everybody! Hope you enjoy this excerpt from Evermore, and hope it piques your curiosity for the next book in Cricket's Fire.

Excerpt from Evermore:

            Tal Morgan enjoyed it.

            He hated himself for it, but he did enjoy it, and he could not deny it. After days of pain and darkness, suddenly he found himself in a great deal of light. Beetle had followed through with her word. No longer did he suffer at all. In fact, as soon as Tal had complied with her wishes, everything had become easier.

            Apparently Tal had not been the only one to learn a thing or two from Falden Jones.

            The first and most dramatic change was how many people listened to him, and wanted him to listen to them. His opinion was not only valued and respected, it was required -- and people cared greatly about how he reacted to their individual opinions. For the first time in his life, everyone around him listened to him.

            Tal suspected that this had something to do with his newfound talent -- a talent that frightened him as much as it secretly pleased him.

            Tal Morgan could talk. He could convince people of whatever he thought, he could make them want to do what he wanted them to do. It was hardly even a chore. Somehow he just knew exactly what to say, and how to say it. When Tal looked into someone’s eyes, he could tell what they were thinking, and what they would ask for, and what their personal agendas were. Then it was only a matter of twisting a few words, turning back toward them a sentence or two, and wrapping it up with a winning smile and a reassuring phrase or two.

            Even Beetle had said it, even though Tal was sure she hadn’t meant to.

            “Well, I must say,” Beetle said breezily, checking things off in a notebook. “You’re less like Falden than I thought.”

            Tal realized this as well. Because whereas Falden Jones had ruled by demanding the respect of all those around him, by taking loyalty through his sheer intellect, Tal Morgan ruled differently. He was respected, he won loyalty -- but not by fear, and not, Tal knew, by his own perfect skills. He won it by words -- by convincing people that they loved him and needed him.

            And yes, Tal secretly enjoyed it.

-President Fantasy