Determine the Future (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 10)

by Sarah Noffke

  At first, I was like, that’s sort of impossible because I killed Ren at the end of his series. Yes, a spoiler alert, but after reading this one, you’d know that because they discuss it. However, Ren technically didn’t really die. You have to read his books to find out more 12

  Honestly, what happened was that Ren showed up in my first series and never left. Then he showed up again in the second series and the readers were thrilled and asked if he could have his own book, which turned into a five part series. And then I got so tired of the dude because he was all anyone wanted that I killed him. Yes, that’s how I do. I really didn’t get tired of him, it’s just that writing a middle aged, angry British redhead wasn’t what I wanted to continue to do at the time, so I ended his story. But I really do love Ren. I’ve said this many times: he’s totally me. He’s all of us, saying aloud what we’re all secretly thinking, but in a really snarky way.

  Anyway, it really isn’t a spoiler about Ren’s death because that’s the title of his last book: The Monster’s Death. But you’d want to start with The Man Behind the Monster. Or the Lucidites or the Reverians. Wow, the plugs…It’s like a balding man, desperate to reclaim his hair follicles over here.

  Back to the Monster’s Death. It’s actually more about the way Ren defies “real” death rather than the actual event. It’s powerful. At least it was for me at the time, mixing philosophy, religion and science. So that’s why you met Ren in this book. Thanks Paul for the idea.

  I have made it a habit of putting readers in books lately. And I’m happy to keep doing it and get lots of requests and love them. But I only have so many characters and the cast of these books is sort of taking over at this point. So if I haven’t honored your requests, it’s not because I’m ignoring you. Promise.

  Something I didn’t expect from this book was the dragon dating app. I was laughing so hard writing those scenes. I went and looked up “bad dating profiles” for inspiration. Having Lunis describe the dragonettes for their profiles took me back to the days of writing Everyone in LA is an Asshole (Is that another shameless plug….). I was trying to come up with a great name for the dragon dating app and it started to hurt my head. Then I remembered I have the smartest, funniest readers and just asked you all and wow, did you all deliver. Thanks for all the suggestions.

  I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of Schitt’s Creek, the show created by father and son team Eugene and Dan Levy. I finished watching the last season when writing this book and it hit me so hard for so many reasons.

  The first was that Dan says that he had no idea at for the first FIVE years he was making the show that it was going to be a big deal. And he wasn’t sure how it would have changed things for him if he knew. He thought that it made it better because he was just crafting something he loved and not because he wanted success and popularity (although that’s invariably a part of the goal, always).

  The show went on in the sixth year to get multiple Emmy awards and was hugely popular. Dan says he was grateful he had that time to create alone without the pressure of the outside world because he wasn’t sure how the show would have been different if he had known he was making something that would be a huge hit.

  Many long term fans know that Liv Beaufont quite literally changed my life. Sophia even more. But I stay so reclused from things that by the time I was halfway through writing the Liv series, I really didn’t know that it was going to be successful. I just kept my head down and kept going, doing it because I loved the characters and the story. Dan said the same thing and I think there’s something to it when we craft out of love, rather than for profit. One of my favorite writing quotes says, “Love the craft and the practice of your art and the peaks will come.”

  But there was something else about the show, Schitt’s Creek, that resonated with me. Dan worked with his father and sister on the show and talked about loving working with his family. About doing and creating something together. That was beautiful to me and I relate. Everyday my life of writing and crafting is connected to my daughter, Lydia. She’ll be in her room, homeschooling and I’ll call her in and read her something or ask her something because I’m stuck.

  Lydia helps me in all aspects of my writing. It’s been that way since she was nine months old. It’s not like when I worked at a college and there was work time and family time. It’s all the same. I can look at my books and see my daughter and I look at my daughter and see my books. There is no beginning or end in my life. No compartments. Just success driven by love and love driven further by success.

  So thanks to Dan and Eugene and Schitt’s Creek for that inspiration.

  I realize, at this point in the author notes that I haven’t teased MA once… That feels wrong. It feels incomplete. Maybe I’m going soft. I’m going to go channel my inner Ren and find a jab to make for the next set of author notes. A really good one. Maybe something about how MAnderle never hits me up for lunch when he’s in LA. I would 100% decline because for starters I don’t eat lunch because I’m a pain in the ass. We don’t eat lunch here in LA. We drink it usually.

  Secondly, I would decline the invite for lunch because I don’t leave the house. There are people out there and carbs and I don’t do either of those. See what a pain in the ass I am. And thirdly, LA is a beast so I can’t be expected to drive a mile down the 101 unless it’s to go to the airport to get out of this city (which I love dearly).

  But still, Mike, you wanna do lunch the next time you’re in town? Hit me up. I’m most likely busy.

  Much love and peace,

  Tiny Ninja

  Michael’s Author Notes

  November 4, 2020

  First, thank you for not only reading this book but these Author Notes as well!

  Wow, how am I supposed to answer the “Do you want to do lunch because I will totally ghost you? Are you going to feel obligated, thinking that maybe I won’t ghost you…but then I do. Or, are you not going to ask me because then you won’t get ghosted in the first place but also feel a bit guilty because you didn’t ask me.”

  I’m not sure. Let me think about that, infinitesimal Lego-ninja. Wait, that’s kinda redundant on the size thing.

  I’ll just go with Lego-ninja. You stand head and shoulders above one of those. It will help your ego.

  Covers

  So, Sarah reached out to me a couple of days ago about a cover idea. What she gave me was a beach concept. I tossed back a waterspout idea (which was what her beach concept created in my mind.

  Then, I sat in my chair, staring at my computer and wondering…

  Did she see it? If she saw it, is she going to answer? If she answers, will she like it?

  It was so stressful. I don’t want to go through it again.

  She liked it. There, I saved you the horrible moments of concern and wonder I went through.

  For a not-exactly-short-but-certainly-not-tall lady, she is a spitfire. It can be stressful to work with her. I promise.

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael

  *NOTE*

  At least one of those comments above I made about Sarah is a lie. Lying is what we fiction writers DO as a living. It’s as natural as breathing.

  Especially when it is directed at someone you KNOW is thinking of devious ways to screw with your brain.

  Like Sarah. In fact, exactly like Sarah.

  So I might have claimed some stuff about Sarah that wasn’t true.

  Except for the height thing. Yeah, that’s true.

  Acknowledgments

  Sarah Noffke

  I feel like I’m on the stage at the Oscars, accepting an award when I write my acknowledgments. I stand there, holding this award, my hands shaking and my words racing around in my mind. I’m not an actress for a reason. I’m a writer and talking to people in “real life” is hard. Not to mention a ton of people all at once.

  I picture looking out at the audience and being blinded by spotlights and forgetting every word of the speech I memorized just in case I won. The speech w
ould go like this and it’s meant for all of you, not the guild. For the fans. The supporters. The people who are the reason I would ever stand on any stage, ever.

  Okay, here we go. I clear my throat and smile, looking up at the camera, holding the little golden man. And then I begin:

  This was never supposed to happen. I was never meant to publish a book and then another one. And then another. I was supposed to write in private and live a life that Henry David Thoreau called a life of “quiet desperation.” I would always hope to share my books, but never bring myself to do it. And you would never read my words. But then, in a crazed moment of brashness, I did share my books and you all liked them. And because of that, I’ve never been the same. And here I am feeling grateful all just because…

  That’s why I’m here. Because of you. Thank you to my first readers. The ones who picked up those books that I didn’t even outline and you still liked them. You messaged me and maybe you thought it was no big deal, but when your ego is new to the publishing world, it’s a big deal.

  I can’t thank you readers enough. I’ve found that reading your reviews helps me to start a chapter when I’m stuck or lazy.

  I really need to thank someone who has made this all possible and that’s my father. I was going to quit. I can’t tell you how many times I quit. But when I wasn’t making it, he was the one who told me to not throw in the towel. “Give yourself a timeline,” he suggested. If I didn’t get to my goal by then, I’d quit. And apparently there was magic in that advice, because I’m still doing this. Dad, you’re the pragmatic one, but when you believed in me enough to tell me to not quit, I knew I had to follow your advice.

  And I thank all my friends who are constantly supporting me with thoughts of love and encouragement. Most don’t read my books. I’m sort of self-deprecating, although I’m working on it and will be the first to tell my friends, “My books probably aren’t for you.” However, every now and then a friend surprises me and says, “I was up all night reading your books.” It’s always a total shock. But my point is, that even if they didn’t read, I still have the best friends ever. Diane, you’re my rock. And I love you, even though you will probably not read this.

  Thank you to everyone at LMBPN. Those people are like family to me, although I’m not sure if they’ll let me sleep on their couch. Well, who am I kidding? They totally will. Big thanks to Steve, Lynne, Mihaela, Kelly, Jen and the entire team. The JIT members are the best.

  Huge thank you to the LMBPN Ladies group on Facebook. Micky, you’re the best. And that group keeps me sane.

  And a giant thank you to the betas for this series. Juergen you are my first reader and friend. Thanks for all the help. And thanks to Martin and Crystal for being some of the best people I know. What would I do without you? A huge thanks to the ARC team. Seriously, if it weren’t for you all I might pass out before release day, wondering if anyone will like the book.

  And with all my books, my final thank you goes to my lovely muse, Lydia. Oh sweet darling, I write these books for you, but ironically, I couldn’t write them without you. You are my inspiration. My sounding board. And the reason that I want to succeed. I love you.

  Thank you all! I’m sorry if I forgot anyone. Blame Michael. For no other reason than just because.

  Books By Sarah Noffke

  Sarah Noffke writes YA and NA science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. In addition to being an author, she is a mother, podcaster and professor. Noffke holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business/writing courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. www.sarahnoffke.com

  Check out other work by Sarah author here.

  Ghost Squadron:

  Formation #1:

  Kill the bad guys. Save the Galaxy. All in a hard day’s work.

  After ten years of wandering the outer rim of the galaxy, Eddie Teach is a man without a purpose. He was one of the toughest pilots in the Federation, but now he’s just a regular guy, getting into bar fights and making a difference wherever he can. It’s not the same as flying a ship and saving colonies, but it’ll have to do.

  That is, until General Lance Reynolds tracks Eddie down and offers him a job. There are bad people out there, plotting terrible things, killing innocent people, and destroying entire colonies. Someone has to stop them.

  Eddie, along with the genetically-enhanced combat pilot Julianna Fregin and her trusty E.I. named Pip, must recruit a diverse team of specialists, both human and alien. They’ll need to master their new Q-Ship, one of the most powerful strike ships ever constructed. And finally, they’ll have to stop a faceless enemy so powerful, it threatens to destroy the entire Federation.

  All in a day’s work, right?

  Experience this exciting military sci-fi saga and the latest addition to the expanded Kurtherian Gambit Universe. If you’re a fan of Mass Effect, Firefly, or Star Wars, you’ll love this riveting new space opera.

  *NOTE: If cursing is a problem, then this might not be for you.

  Check out the entire series here.

  The Precious Galaxy Series:

  Corruption #1

  A new evil lurks in the darkness.

  After an explosion, the crew of a battlecruiser mysteriously disappears.

  Bailey and Lewis, complete strangers, find themselves suddenly onboard the damaged ship. Lewis hasn’t worked a case in years, not since the final one broke his spirit and his bank account. The last thing Bailey remembers is preparing to take down a fugitive on Onyx Station.

  Mysteries are harder to solve when there’s no evidence left behind.

  Bailey and Lewis don’t know how they got onboard Ricky Bobby or why. However, they quickly learn that whatever was responsible for the explosion and disappearance of the crew is still on the ship.

  Monsters are real and what this one can do changes everything.

  The new team bands together to discover what happened and how to fight the monster lurking in the bottom of the battlecruiser.

  Will they find the missing crew? Or will the monster end them all?

  The Soul Stone Mage Series:

  House of Enchanted #1:

  The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now.

  The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.

  In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.

  Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.

  Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?

  But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.

  Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran. Check out the entire series here.

  The Lucidites Series:

  Awoken, #1:

  Around the world humans are hallucinating after sleepless nights.

  In a sterile, underground institute the forecasters keep reporting the same events.

  And in the backwoods of Texas, a sixteen-year-old girl is about to be caught up in a fierce, ethereal battle.

  Meet Roya Stark. She drowns every night in her dreams, spends her hours reading classic literature to avoid her family’s ridicule, and is prone to premonitions—which are becoming more frequent. And now her dreams are filled with strangers offering to reveal what she has always wanted to know: Who is she? That’s the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. But will Roya live to regret learning the truth?

  Stunned, #2

  Revived, #3

  The Reverians Series:

  Defects, #1:

  In the happy, clean community of Austin Valley, everything appears to be perfect. Seventeen-year-old Em Ful
ler, however, fears something is askew. Em is one of the new generation of Dream Travelers. For some reason, the gods have not seen fit to gift all of them with their expected special abilities. Em is a Defect—one of the unfortunate Dream Travelers not gifted with a psychic power. Desperate to do whatever it takes to earn her gift, she endures painful daily injections along with commands from her overbearing, loveless father. One of the few bright spots in her life is the return of a friend she had thought dead—but with his return comes the knowledge of a shocking, unforgivable truth. The society Em thought was protecting her has actually been betraying her, but she has no idea how to break away from its authority without hurting everyone she loves.

  Rebels, #2

  Warriors, #3

  Vagabond Circus Series:

  Suspended, #1:

  When a stranger joins the cast of Vagabond Circus—a circus that is run by Dream Travelers and features real magic—mysterious events start happening. The once orderly grounds of the circus become riddled with hidden threats. And the ringmaster realizes not only are his circus and its magic at risk, but also his very life.

  Vagabond Circus caters to the skeptics. Without skeptics, it would close its doors. This is because Vagabond Circus runs for two reasons and only two reasons: first and foremost to provide the lost and lonely Dream Travelers a place to be illustrious. And secondly, to show the nonbelievers that there’s still magic in the world. If they believe, then they care, and if they care, then they don’t destroy. They stop the small abuse that day-by-day breaks down humanity’s spirit. If Vagabond Circus makes one skeptic believe in magic, then they halt the cycle, just a little bit. They allow a little more love into this world. That’s Dr. Dave Raydon’s mission. And that’s why this ringmaster recruits. That’s why he directs. That’s why he puts on a show that makes people question their beliefs. He wants the world to believe in magic once again.