[EXCERPT - FIRST 5 CHAPTERS] THE FULL BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN STORES AND ONLINE! Never trust a guy in spandex. In Abby Hamilton's world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees - they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby's older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind. That is, until the city's newest vigilante comes bursting into her life. After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston's fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he's not as evil as everyone says - and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city's darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can't always be trusted, and sometimes it's the good guys who wear black.

Leaving behind everything she's ever known, Emilee enters a world of high glamour and even higher stakes. The new freedom that comes with being a part of the Famoux is intoxicating, but behind the perfect image lies an ugly truth - being popular is a matter of life or death. ***** Out of the wreckage of environmental collapse, the country of Delicatum emerged. Its most popular celebrities are the Famoux, uniquely beautiful stars of a reality TV show called the Fishbowl. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, they provide a 24/7 distraction. Sixteen-year-old Emilee Laurence is obsessed with the Famoux - they provide a refuge from her troubled home life and the bullies at school. When she receives an unimaginable offer to become a member herself, she takes it. But soon she realizes that fame can be deadly... Content and trigger warning: This story depicts mental health issues and contains scenes of violence. [[word count: 350,000-400,000 words]]

"It's as if the world slows down to a standstill. Touch, taste, smell, hearing, they are all deemed inoperable, all except sight. Sight is amplified. Sight is intensified. Sight becomes my most important asset, and at the same time, becomes my enemy. For if it wasn't for my ability to see, I wouldn't have seen him, with his wide eyes and gaunt face, outstretching his right arm to a peculiar length. I wouldn't have seen the weapon clutched firmly in his hand, pointed directly toward my head. I wouldn't have seen him pull the trigger while looking unapologetically at me. But I do see. I see everything, from his blank, hopeless stare, to the weapon-clad men charging at him unmercilessly. I see him fall to the ground, as if his limbs are pulled out of his body from some unknown force. But first, and to my utter torment, I see his fingertips, blackening and charring as the plague strikes him right before he takes his last breath." © 2014 Liliana Araxes