1 | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I mentioned a few posts back that Shelli Johannes Wells spoke at an SCBWI writer’s workshop, and she mentioned that she’d be releasing the novelette, SUFFOCATE. And guess what? Today’s the day!

I just read the first couple chapters, and seriously, I wanted to run outside and gulp a few mouthfuls of our lovely, semi-clean air. Here’s why:

“For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It’s a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes.

If those responsible find out what she knows, they won’t stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.”

So you can see why I have this suffocating feeling going on here. SUFFOCATE is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres. The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.

For now, you can purchase SUFFOCATE for just 99¢ for your Kindle or Nook. And if you don’t have either, you’ll want to zip over to Shelli’s blog here to find out how you can win one during The Indelibles Beach Bash. And you can also win a copy of SUFFOCATE. (P.S. She’s giving away five copies!)

And now that I’ve caught my breath, I’m off to finish reading. (Happy Release Day, Shelli!)

So I walked in the house to the Beneficent Mr. Hall saying, “They’re coming to cut down those trees.”

What? The trees? The cherry blossom trees? You’re chopping them down???

I stomped up the stairs–and muttered under my breath about being the last to know about the goings on going on in this house, and spending money on chopping down trees, and harrumph, harrumph, harrumph.

And before I had even stopped harrumphing, the tree guys came and bzzzzzzz. Crack. One cherry blossom tree down. Then bzzzzzzzzzzz. Crack, crack, crack. The other cherry blossom tree down. Twenty years of cherry blossom trees, gone. Just. Like. That.

Now, honestly, the trees had died from some marauding cherry blossom beetle. And the Beneficent Mr. Hall had said months ago that the trees had to go. I mean, out of the blue, limbs just dropped off the cherry blossom trees. It’s a wonder that no one had been knocked out cold. But still…

I stood outside, watching those trees fall down and I felt like crying. It’s silly, I know. But I loved those cherry blossom trees. I loved the pink blooms, carpeting the trees. I loved how the flower petals fell at the same time, and when the wind blew, it looked like snow swirling across my driveway. And for weeks after, mounds of petals littered the yard and when I walked through them, bursts of white flicked up from my feet. Until finally, the petals drifted away. I wonder where they went?

I’ll miss those trees. And I didn’t even have a picture of them.