BONUS PAGE
Great news! My editor, Janelle Evans, and I are starting the first round of edits on The Vast Configuration. It's a novel about trust, love, and saving the world. Some big concepts, but that's what gets me up in the morning. Here's a glimpse of the first page...
One
Professor Carlos Huerta craved another Quaalude, his third for the day—usually not a concern, but the fact he had already taken two so early gave him pause.
The first pill came after the call from a former student, Payton Sinclair.
“I’m so sorry to impose, professor, but I’m desperate for your help.”
Carlos chuckled. “Are you in the middle of a physics emergency, my friend?”
“I’m dead serious. Are you able to travel?”
Carlos’s grip tightened on the telephone. “Of course, for you my friend. Where?”
“The Nevada Test Site. I can’t say anything more than that. Please follow the instructions of my aide. He’s on his way to your house as we speak.”
The second pill came after the limo ride from Sedona to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport.
“Nervous?” The aide cocked his head. “They tell me you haven’t flown before,” he added with a grin. “Shoot, it’ll be fine.”
“Oh, the flight is no concern,” Carlos said, “but the destination puzzles me.” Something about the Nevada Test Site sounded an alarm. Although he had never been there, the name stirred memories—vague recollections lying dormant in the back of his mind.
Now, cruising at thirty-five thousand feet above endless miles of desert, Carlos used the time to reflect on his relationship with Payton Sinclair. The man had shown true promise at MIT—a brilliant student of physics. Later, he had joined the Air Force and became involved with some top-secret government program—very hush-hush—in a facility just north of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Carlos bolted upright. The pieces fell in place. Top-secret site. Air Force. Las Vegas.
Area 51.
The aide roused. “Are you okay, professor?”
Yes, another under-the-counter “happy pill” would definitely be required.
“Will there be aliens?” Carlos said. “Little gray men?”