Karen King, author of Perfect Summer,
returns with a new Young Adult paranormal romance, Sapphire Blue.
Welcome, Karen!
Can love survive
death?
“No one
has ever walked out of Red. Once the Soul Catchers get you they don’t let you
go.” Denny’s words scare me but I have no choice. If Will is in Red that’s
where I have to go.
I’ve
never really thought what it was like when you died. I’m only 16, too young to
worry about that. At least I thought I was. I’ve heard about Heaven and Hell,
of course, but it doesn’t look like I’m in either of them. All I know is that
Will is here too and I need to find him. I can’t face spending eternity without
him.
Sapphire
Blue – Extract
Our first drive together. Later, I’ll take
photos of wherever it is we’re going, save a leaflet, a ticket, or receipt.
Today deserves a whole page in our scrapbook.
Will’s a good
driver. His eyes constantly dart to the mirrors to check what’s behind him,
around him, in front of him, and he keeps his speed steady. I feel safe with
him.
I look out of the
passenger window, trying to guess where we’re going. As soon as we join the
dual carriageway I know. Mawlish Cove. Where we went for our very first proper
date. It’s our special place, the one we go to when we want to celebrate
something, but usually we have to cycle there. I think of all the places we can
go now that Will can drive, to the coast a few miles away, a sightseeing tour
of the local villages, maybe even drive to Wales to see my cousin, Gemma. I’ll
be seventeen in a few months and maybe I can pass my test too, then we can go
away for weekend, share the driving. I glance at Will and smile. I’m so proud
of him.
“I love you,” I say.
“Love you too,” he
replies. Then he starts singing.
“Sapphire Blue,
I do love you,
Forever me,
Forever you!” I join in the chorus, bubbles of happiness fizzing through me.
Will wrote the song
for me last Christmas, calling it Sapphire ‘Blue’ after the color of my eyes—he
said. He knew his folks were buying him the guitar he’d been begging for all
year, so had secretly written the song to surprise me. It was the first thing
he played. I remember how he picked up the guitar, slowly strumming the
strings, then he’d walked over to me, sat down beside me and gazing into my
eyes he’d started singing. It was only a short song, one verse, nothing
special, I guess, but it summed us up. Me and Will, together forever. A warm
surge of love spreads through me. I reach out and touch his hand. He turns to
me and our eyes meet.
Just for a couple of
seconds. An eye blink. Hardly any time at all.
But long enough for
us to not notice the container fall off the back of the lorry in front. When we
do notice, it’s in the middle of the road, blocking our path. A shard of ice
slithers down my spine.
“Stop! Will, stop!
We’re going to crash!”
Even as I shriek the
words I know that there isn’t enough time to stop. I’m frozen to my seat, my
eyes fixed in terror on the huge metal box just meters away.
“Hold tight!” Will
jerks the steering wheel to the left in an attempt to avoid it, but he loses
control of the car, and we’re skidding off the road. OMG, now we’re heading for
a huge tree. It’s looming in front of us, solid and immovable. Its long, leafy
branches swaying in the wind like scaly, green arms reaching out to grab us.
“Shit!”
Will’s almost standing on the brakes in an effort to stop the car. My body
shoots forward, then is pulled back by the seatbelt. My head slams against the
back of the seat. The tires screech as the car starts to slow down but not
quick enough for us to avoid the tree. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the
inevitable, horrific moment of impact. I can hear Will shouting, “I’m sorry,
I’m sorry. I love you!” I want to tell him that I love him too, but I can’t
speak, can’t move, my body’s turned into a block of granite.
I’m
dimly aware that someone is screaming as if their soul is being ripped from
their body. It is a few seconds before I realize that the screams are mine.
We’re
going to die.
Craaaaaash!
An explosion shatters in my head.
Buy Links
Author Bio
Karen
King has had over one hundred children’s books published. She’s written for
many children's magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and
Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books,
picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. Sapphire
Blue is her second YA novel. She also writes romance novels under the name
of Kay Harborne.
Connect with Karen King
Website:
www.karenking.net
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Twitter:
@karen_king
