ONE LIFE
A TEDDY OWENS STORY
by
L.A. Cadieux
…from Evernight Teen
YA (romance,
paranormal, shifters, suspense, contemporary)
77,000 words, Editor's
Pick
Intent on leaving her troubled
childhood in the past, snow-obsessed sixteen year old Teddy Owens has moved
from Texas to her uncle's secluded Rocky Mountain estate—a beautiful place, but
colder than she imagined. Curious about her surroundings she ignores the
persistent advice of new friends and digs around to uncover the allure of the
mysterious estate—only to discover her friends have terrifying secrets of their
own. With each new revelation, Teddy is thrust further into a clandestine
underworld where she is hunted for her dormant supernatural power…the ability
to save just one person from death.
After her
family's sordid history of betrayal is unearthed, Teddy’s world is rocked when
she must travel to New York City and take an oath promising her power to an
arrogant heir of the underworld, Leevi Koivu. Can she trust him?
And in the
end someone she loves, but cannot save, will die.
Buy Links
Evernight Teen -
http://www.evernightteen.com/one-life-by-l-a-cadieux/
B&N and Smashwords coming
soon
Excerpt:
“Admit it, you’re a mess.” My words were thick with
accusation as I showed her the bottle. The lines separating a mother from her
daughter began to blur, the tighter my fist clenched around exhibit #1: the
medication bottle. “I found this in the trash.”
Angelique placed the soda she’d been sipping onto the
kitchen counter. “Stop worrying about me. Honey, I’m fine. It was
an accident—those merely fell into the garbage earlier,” she said. A bead of
condensation rolled down the side of the aluminum can, seeping into a chip in
the counter.
“Do you take me for an idiot? The trash isn’t exactly
accessible.” I pointed to the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink. As I leaned
forward my wet hair hung over my face. I’d gone and dyed my locks red a few
weeks earlier. Fortunately, the color had faded after two washes.
“It’s completely plausible it fell under the sink,”
she argued. Angelique turned to search the deserted street outside our tattered
screen door—her actions were a clear indication of what I’d suspected all
along.
“Please, look at me for one minute, and don’t start
with one of your conspiracy theories—seriously—I can’t take another. This full bottle
was in the washroom trash. I found it after taking a shower.” A knowing
expression dawned on her face…she’d been caught in another lie. “You haven’t
been taking your prescription. Why?” I shoved a hand into the pocket of my
cut-off shorts and pulled out the telephone wiretap.
Angelique’s eyes narrowed in on it. “Teddy, give me
the bug,” she demanded, placing a thin hand on my shoulder.
I tore out of her grasp. “In case you missed the memo,
this isn’t normal. It’s not okay to spy on me. Angelique, I’m not your naïve
little girl anymore.” I held up the listening device. “Your sickness is worse
than ever. Your paranoia is out of control—you need help. I’m tired of trying
to fix it.”
“I’m fine,” Angelique shrilled. Her hair was matted to
her forehead, saturated with the humidity. “You have to trust me. I have my
reasons.”
“I want to trust you.” I noted how her cheeks and eyes
had sunken in. God, she wasn’t eating again. Her anxiety had worsened
significantly since my sixteenth birthday. Lately, she’d watched me like I was
going to burst into a man-eating tarantula at any moment. “You make it hard.”
“You can’t possibly understand.” She reached over to
tug at my arm, resulting in a tussle over the bug. “Give me that already—it’s
not yours,” she ordered.
As I ducked out of the way, she jerked my arm. “Let me
go!” I tried to snatch my arm away.
“Please, can you try to keep your voice down?” She
released me, only to glance outside in search of her imaginary tormentors.
“Why can’t you try to be a normal mother?” I asked,
red-faced.
“It was never in the cards for you, honey.” She pushed
a limp strand of brunette hair out of her face.
“You don’t listen, not even to the doctors,” I said
sadly. “Try to keep care of yourself.” Taking aim, I flung the bottle against
the refrigerator and watched with disdain as it burst open, sending pills
spewing across the floor. Many of them disappeared into a filthy crack in the
linoleum floor under the counter. “I’m not your babysitter!” Angelique stood
rigidly, staring down at the pills. Considering her current state of mental
health, and knowing my mother, she was probably asking herself if they could
possibly be poisoned.
I opened my mouth, then closed it, and then opened it
again. “Forget this—I’m done.” I threw my fists up into the air.
“Teddy,” Angelique shouted as I ran from the house.
“Get back here this instant,” she ordered. “It’s dangerous—”
I slammed the squeaking screen door behind me, cutting
her off.
If I wasn’t so livid I’d have taken notice of the
police car sitting at the end of our street, but it was too late: the cops were
stepping out of the car. An officer waved me over. Angelique was going to lose
it on them, and it was my fault.
Making my way toward the cops, I started to
panic. What should I say?
“Hello there,” the first officer said. “Is everything
okay?”
“Yeah, nothing to report.” I stared down at my
sneakers, not wanting to meet their cynical gazes.
“What’s your name?” the second asked.
“Teddy Owens, sir.”
“How old are you?” He leaned against his cruiser,
tilting his head to the side to consider me.
“Sixteen—at the beginning of August.” I cringed as the
screen door on our house banged shut. The officers wore amused expressions as
Angelique stomped toward us. They wouldn’t be smiling if they knew what she was
capable of.
“It’s going to be one of those nights,”
the first officer said under his breath.
It was one of the last times I’d play the role of an
innocent spectator.
About the
Author:
"Our perception of the world is shaped by our
experiences and imagery. As a genre fantasy writer it's my job to create new
possibilities."
My name is L. A. Cadieux, I’m a YA/New
Adult writer and social media-aholic born in Lac La Biche, Alberta, living in
Calgary, Canada. Since childhood I've been mesmerized by stories of fairy
tales, knights, Greek and Roman mythology and comic book heroes. Naturally, I
wanted to create my own worlds/characters and set off on a long quest to write
fantasy novels. Creative, yet business minded, I went on to earn a Degree in
Management from the University of Alberta Augustana, specializing in Business
Economics.
I'm a Project Manager by day and by
night I work on my stories. After shelving some of my earlier manuscripts I
decided to focus on ONE LIFE, the first in a series of Teddy Owens Stories.
As a proud mom of two – I spend my days
and nights multi-tasking.
Random facts: Tim Hortons coffee and ketchup chips are my
vices. I’m also a fan of the HBO and CW Networks. My favourite book is Jane
Austen’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE.
Website: http://www.lacadieux.com
Contact:
Twitter: LACadieux_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLACadieux
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lacadieux/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7910457-l-a-cadieux
Giveaway
L.A. Cadieux would like to give away a $25
Amazon Gift Card
Rafflecopter
code to come separately.
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