Mack 'n' Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9
Page 28
My heart lifted, even as the edge of the ravine got closer.
“You on-line, Tens?” Mack called, but we weren’t waiting for an answer.
Those wolves caught us, and we were more than toast...and I, for one, had no desire to be the red raw filling on anyone’s sandwich.
“Aww. Where’s your sense of adventure?” Tens cut in, and I blushed red to the roots of my hair, because I didn’t think he was being anywhere near politically correct, either.
There was no time to answer, though. We were jumping.
If it hadn’t been for Mack’s strong grip on my hand, I might have panicked and let go—but he hung on, and then pulled me to him.
“Tens!”
We were still clinging together, when we hit the teleport mat.
“You can let me go, now,” I said, but Mack tightened his arms around me.
“Now, why would I do a damn fool thing like that?” he asked, and Tens groaned and rolled his eyes.
“You two need to get a room,” he said, and Mack and I looked at each other, before scrambling hastily to our feet, because Tens was right.
We sure as shit did.
Author’s Notes
Firstly, thank you for reading this far, and sharing the road with me as I write.
It’s been a long road to the end of Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9, and a lot of things have happened alongside. I started this book in July 2018, at around the same time as I wrote and submitted my proposal for the Magic Below Paris series. I didn’t finish Wolves until mid-2020, and then I started Diplomacy 101, the sixth and final book in the series.
What took so long, you ask? Well, I did start and complete the eight-book Magic Below Paris series. I also wrote and submitted seven short stories between July 2018 and January 2019, of which five were accepted and either have been brought out in anthologies or are coming out. And I wrote over a dozen novel-length work-for-hire submissions, as well.
It’s been a busy two-and-a-half years, and a long, long road—and I’ve learned a lot along the way, which has led to me reworking my backlist, as I do everything else. This is the first new piece of work I’ve been able to bring to market in a while—but it will be followed by more.
As I write this, the final book in this series is complete and waiting editing, and I am working on a new series set in the Mack and Odyssey universe, the Lunar Wolves. All being well, that series should be available in the latter half of this year.
Will there be more Mack and Cutter?
I hope so. I have already started work on the outline of their next series, and a collection of short stories and flash fiction set around the novels is in development, and nearing completion. I like these characters a lot...not that you can tell from what they’ve been through.
What I like most about them is they never give up, and they accept each other...mostly...for what they are. They might not be the easiest to get along with, or have the greatest personalities, but they care for each other and have chosen to be a family regardless of their differences.
A family of choice, in a universe that’s less than ideal.
And I like that they recognize they are stronger together than apart, as is so often the way in life.
As I write this, I’m watching my world change and wondering what lies on the other side of the horizon, even as I know I can’t change any of it, and I look at the people I’ve met in the last two years and am grateful. I might not know what the future will bring, but I think I just might be in good company, regardless—and I wish the same thing for you, too.
Here’s to good company, and a better future ahead.
If you want to see more of me, you can find more news of my work, or follow me as I create more stories at any one of the following locations:
Blogspot: http://cmsimpson.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMSimpsonWriter/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/cmsimpsonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/simpsoncolleen1
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCjOK2SvOHoT_ru9rlnlVS-g
Linked In: https://au.linkedin.com/public-profile/in/c-m-simpson-8279344a
The cover art for this book was created by Moonchild Lilja and you can find her work at fantasybookdesign.com
Other Work by C.M. Simpson
The Magic Beneath Paris (with Michael Anderle)
#1 Trading into Shadow
#2 Trading into Darkness
#3 Trading Close to Light
#4 Trading by Firelight
#5 Trading by Shroomlight
#6 Trading into Daylight
#7 Trading into Stormlight
#8 Trading to the Deeps
Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey
#1 Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins
#2 Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host
#3 Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach
#4 Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favor
#5 Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9
#6 Mack ‘n’ Me: Diplomacy 101
C.M.’s Collections
#1 365 Days of Flash Fiction
#2 365 Days of Poetry
#3 A Collection of Dragons
I also have work in the following publications:
The Expanding Universe: Volume 4
Dragonscales Anthology: Volume 2
About C.M. Simpson
Born in Far North Queensland, I ended up being dragged over most of the state before the age of ten—and then into the Northern Territory and back, so that I attended four different primary schools and two high schools by graduation. In a country that inspires the imagination, and in towns that made me dream of worlds beyond my own, I started writing early, and reading voraciously.
In high school, I discovered writers like Anne McCaffrey, Harry Harrison, John Christopher, Douglas Hill and Alan Dean Foster. They kept me company—and semi-sane—through most of my young adult years, and beyond. I’ve done time in the Royal Australian Air Force, worked as a governess and teacher, and been an analyst, and, all that time, I kept writing, and exploring both my worlds and those I was privileged to be invited to share. Now, you can find my stories at most of the major distributors. Thank you, for sharing this part of my journey with me. If you would like to share more of it, you can find my blog, here: https://cmsimpson.blogspot.com/, or sign up for my newsletter. Hope to see you there.