16068631EXTRACTED The Lost Imperials Book One

Welcome to the time war. The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it. The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens-their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream. Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war. When Lex’s girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It’s there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back. Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both…again.
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Tyler H. Jolley is a sci-fi/fantasy author and full time orthodontist, periodontitis (see: Overachiever). He divides his spare time between writing, reading, mountain biking, and camping with his family.6438572
Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer and internet radio show host with more mouth than good sense. She has a serious book addiction, but continually refuses treatment-much to her husband’s chagrin.
Tyler and Sherry met one fateful day and bonded over their love for books, science fiction, and donuts. Their first co-written novel came shortly after. Now, they still do all those other things, but also go to various steampunk conventions under the guise of ‘research’. They can often be found lurking on The Lost Imperials Facebook page or over on the official website,www.thelostimperials.com.
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The Giveaway:
Tyler and Sherry are offering an AWESOME giveaway if I do say so myself. Up for grabs are The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sherlock Holmes (the 2009 RDJ version), and the complete series of Firefly (a 4 disc set). The giveaway is available for U.S. residents only and it will run from July 15th to July 25th.

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The Excerpt

The Excerpt: (Spoiler Free)
It isn’t my first mission, it’s not even a particularly difficult one. The Solara plans aren’t exactly nuclear launch codes. I’m not even sure why the Hollows want them so badly, except to create chaos. What could be so special about a rough solar collector? Nothing. It’s the rush, the thrill of the chase. They are really little better than feral cats. Still, if they want it, then we can’t let them have it. It’s as simple as that. But the tiny hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. The air around me feels thick, like the world is holding its breath.
Somewhere in the back of my head some version of my own voice reminds me that this might very well be my last mission. The Trial is coming up, and it’s pass or die.
I shove the thought away, fighting to stay focused. Doubt never accomplished anything.
Draping one arm over my shoulder he gives me a quick, reassuring hug. “Relax, Ember. We aren’t diffusing a nuclear bomb. We’re just here to keep one nerdy scientist safe. How hard could it possibly be?”
I sigh. “I really hate it when you do that.”
“Do what?” he asks innocently.
“Beg for trouble.”
A pair of elderly gentlemen brush past us, shooting Ethan a glance that clearly says inappropriate behavior. For a moment even I’d forgotten how far back we’d gone—how far gone from our home back at the Tesla Institute. No, in this time, people simply didn’t show amusement or familiarity. It was just rude. The way Ethan steps back from me, cooling his expression, makes me eager to leave 1893 in the rear view.
He shakes his head, falling back into mission mode. “We are only going to get one shot at this. Are you ready Kara?”
“I think this dress is trying to kill me,” Kara complains, tripping forward as she steps on the long hem.
I can’t help but smirk.
“Be thankful they aren’t wearing the bustles anymore. Good luck getting off a decent round house kick in one of those.”
She smoothes her hands down the front of her pink and brown dress, the puffy sleeves smacking her in the face as she does. Kara sputters, smacking at them. I withhold a snicker.
Squaring my shoulders I raise my chin to the bright mid day sun. It’s cool today for mid June, a light breeze caressing my face. It’s a good thing. These dresses are heavy and tight and not at all like our usual clothes. Beside me Kara curses and fights to tuck stray wisps of her deep red hair back into its coil at the back of her neck.
“So, where do we find this guy?” Kara asks, glancing around.
“Current location unknown,” Tesla’s voice cuts in again.
“Oh, great. Some super computer you are,” she mumbles under her breath. Then louder she asks, “Where’s Flynn? I feel the need for some serious adult supervision.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Ethan takes a deep breath. “I don’t know. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my gut.”
“Is that intuition or heartburn? You did just eat your weight in chili dogs.” I ask though I know better than to question his gut. It tends to be dead right.
“Chicago Dogs,” Kara corrects me.
Yes. I can still taste the peppers. Still, it’s probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. The Institute has us all on strict diets of protein powder and gross organic tofu based foods. No way were any of us going to pass them up. The entrance is lined with vendors of various foods. The fact that we aren’t still there glutting ourselves is a testament to our self control. Still, if everything goes well, we might just make a pit stop before we Rift back home.
“Get on point,” Tesla’s voice cuts through the earbuds.
Kara and I exchange a frown before the three of us shift back to back to back, scanning the crowd. Beside me I can feel Ethan tense. It’s kind of unsettling, actually. The way he can transition from fun, playful Ethan into leader Ethan like snapping your fingers. His entire demeanor changes, even his voice is different.
“Let’s split up,” Ethan decides, pointing. “Kara, you head over to his booth at the main convention center, I’ll take the east side, Ember you take the west. We’ll meet up by the pier. Anyone runs into trouble, have Tesla put out a call to the rest of the team.”
I don’t like it. I’m feeling jumpy, which isn’t like me at all. Maybe it’s just nerves, or maybe I just don’t like the idea of being separated from them. Either way I don’t say anything. Ethan and Kara have been with me over a year, since the day I was recruited, and I trust them with my life a hundred times over. Without a word we go our separate ways. I’m weaving through the crowd when I spot something. A girl about my age in a tall black top hat and long fitted leather trench coat. I catch a glimpse of her as she moves past the Zoopraxographical Hall. Her dark hair is tucked up into the hat exposing a trail of green tattoos down the back of her neck. I bite my lip.
She’s one of them. A Hollow.
Something inside the Hall distracts her and she steps just inside the double doors. A quick glance over her shoulder and our eyes connect only for a second before she looks away.
She’s pretty, if a bit overdone. Her eyes are ringed in dark coal liner and her lips are deep, blood red. She’s got tight black pants of some kind on under the jacket with belts and straps around her waist and down her thighs. And the normal people are staring and whispering behind her back. Most of the women in this time are wearing floor length, high necked day dresses and corsets. This girl looks like Goth Barbie. She didn’t even bother to remove the silver hoop from her eyebrow.
I slide up beside her, staring at the small screen. There’s a film showing, a moving picture, according to the advertisement, on the Science of Animal Locomotion. There’s a group of children down front gawking at the movie and pointing. A few men are still staring at her where she’s now leaning against the door jam, her arms folded across her chest. I glance around, looking for more Hollows but not seeing any. That’s strange. They normally travel in packs. I debate the merits of saying anything. Maybe, if she hasn’t made me as a Rifter, I can just follow her. See if she’ll lead me to the rest. It seems like the smartest plan. All I have to do is keep my mouth shut. I smirk at the thought.
“Nice costume,” she mutters, not looking at me.
So much for stealthy.
“Thanks.”
“I hope it’s not a rental.”
Before I can react she’s spinning. Her boot kicks out, connecting with my lower back and sending me sprawling to the earth. She’s on top of me in a heartbeat, pressing my face to the ground.
She leans forward, whispering into my ear, “Tesla is here, did you know that? Not your Tesla, of course, but the Tesla from this time. He’s fifty yards away giving demonstrations of his brilliant little coils. It would be so easy for me. The flip of a switch, a misplaced bucket of water. I could end this whole thing right now.” I can hear the smile in her voice as she pounds my face in the dirt. “Oh. But don’t worry. I won’t. Not this time. That’s not what we’re here for.” Lifting me up by my hair she flings me forward, into the theater. We burst through the doors to a chorus of shhhh-ing. But as soon as they turn to see the commotion, they are fixated on her. It’s not just the strange wardrobe that has people transfixed. She is radiating power and a deadly beauty. It’s almost hypnotic. Even I can feel it.
I am so out of my league.
I wipe my mouth on my sleeve. My lip is bleeding inside so I spit, earning me a look of disgust from the people who are beginning to stare. “You mean you can’t kill Tesla.” I counter, my voice barely more than a whisper. “You can’t kill Tesla or you risk unraveling your own time line.” I crouch down and she kicks, I manage to block the blow but the momentum still sends me back to the ground with a sharp pain in my forearm.
“Sometimes, I think it might be worth it,” she says, her voice dripping with bitterness as she makes her way over to me. People are standing up now, demanding she stop. One man puts a hand on her shoulder and she grabs his arm, twisting it behind his back with a loud snap before tossing him aside. “So, are we going to do this the hard way or…who am I kidding? There’s really just the hard way.”
I leap forward, catching her off guard with a punch in the face. A satisfying crunch tells me I’ve broken her nose. She stumbles backward but doesn’t fall. The back few rows of people are quickly moving past us, abandoning their seats.
She smiles and the blood runs down her lip into her mouth, turning her teeth pink.
She lunges. This time I’m better prepared for it and manage to duck the blow while coming up and landing a blow of my own in her solar plexus. She gasps but spins again and kicks out at me. I roll backwards and spring to my feet.
“You’ve got some moves, I’ll give you that Tesla girl,” She says, readjusting her hat.
“How is that thing still on your head?” I blurt out, gasping for breath.
She lifts the hat off her head and brings it to her chest with a mock bow before stuffing it back on.
Okay. That’s kind of impressive, I admit to myself.
Nearly everyone is staring at us now. Some wondering out loud if it’s part of the show, others threatening to get the police.
From the wall she grabs a lit oil lamp and hurls it at me. I duck and it hits the wall behind me in an explosion of light, igniting the rug and the bottom of the white screen. The curious crowd screams and they leap to their feet, running wildly out of the theater into the street.
Turning to look at the flames is my mistake, even as I’m doing it I realize this. But I can’t help it. The urge to look at it is impossible to resist. A soon as the flames register in my brain my legs turn to mush. She’s on me again before I can move, her fist connecting with the side of my face like a freight train.
I fall to my hands and knees. Reaching out desperately I grab her ankle and pull. She falls onto her backside. I roll on top of her and drawback to punch. Before I can, her leg comes up, wrapping around my neck and pulling me off her. She twists and a tweak of lightning pain shoots up my neck. For a few breaths, I can’t move. Slowly, the feeling returns to my fingertips. When I can sit up she’s gone and the room around me is full of hot, boiling smoke. I cough and my chest constricts, refusing to take in air as I gasp hard.
I can see the door and the daylight beyond even through the dense black clouds. I’m about to run. Something in the back of my mind is screaming. Every nerve in my body is electric current, driving me out of the path of the flames. Behind me the screen falls in ragged sheets, sending embers and smoke into the air.
Then I hear the scream.