Utility Company (Book 1): Blink
Page 34
I’d like to thank Paul for pushing me. After a couple stupid Facebook posts, I had decided to expand it into a story, but I was looking at a ten thousand word job, not the 107,000 word beast this transformed into. I created Agent Smith, but Paul gave him life and convinced me to make him the true protagonist of this story.
This novel came at a great time for me. In January 2015 I was less than six months into life as a dad of a four year old boy. He was a blessing, but turned my life upside down. I quit writing for a while and I relearned how to fit writing into my schedule thanks to this book you just finished. I have to absolutely credit this book as well as the stories I wrote for Samuel Peralta and his Future Chronicles anthologies as the two things that kept me writing in 2015.
A few thank you notes for super early readers and supporters:
The members of the Tales from the Mirrorverse FB group. You were the ones we wrote for the early days and for the first third of the book (which may be almost unrecognizable now) you were our sounding board. Thank you.
Early readers Bill Matthews, Daniel Arthur Smith, Steve Wetherell, and David Walters. Your feedback helped strengthen this into what it is today.
Our phenomenal editor Ellen Campbell. None of this would be readable without you. Thank you and Roll Tide.
Huge thanks to Therin Knite for the formatting on Blink and Adam Hall for the excellent cover.
Paul and I did go back to the Utility Company universe for a Christmas story (which actually came out before Blink), so if you need some more Agent Smith, check out our holiday special, Agent Smith and the Naughty Elf. We had a blast writing this book so expect to see more from Smith, Wessen, and the other agents of the Utility Company again down the road.
Thanks for supporting independent publishing. We thrive on reviews, so be sure to drop a few words about this book on Amazon and tell your friends. To find the continuing adventures of Agent Smith and the other stories I’ve written, check out my Amazon page at http://smarturl.it/w.sward.
To get early word and free books from us down the road, be sure to subscribe to my email list: http://smarturl.it/wswardmail.
- Will Swardstrom
Contents
Blink
Copyright
Also By The Authors
Prologue
Part 1 Chapter 1 - The Corn Avenger
Chapter 2 - The Utility Company
Chapter 3 - Preparations
Chapter 4 - Dryness
Chapter 5 - Tennessee
Chapter 6 - A Blink
Chapter 7 - Remember Me
Chapter 8 - Sleepless
Chapter 9 - Shots from a Mirror
Chapter 10 - Couch-trospection
Chapter 11 - One Way Journey
Chapter 12 - A Sign From the Other Side
Chapter 13 - Frank in the Hole
Chapter 14 - Going Downtown
Chapter 15 - Flutter
Chapter 16 - Conversation with Smith
Chapter 17 - Bigger Problems
Chapter 18 - Constructive Destruction
Chapter 19 - Wall Call
Chapter 20 - Penny
Chapter 21 - Southern Indiana
Chapter 22 - A Different Perspective
Chapter 23 - Through the Looking Glass
Chapter 24 - Worst Kept Secrets
Chapter 25 - Picking Up the Pieces
Chapter 26 - On Second Thought
Chapter 27 - Countdown
Interlude 1 Interlude - Jones
Interlude - The Closet
Interlude - Waiting in the Car
Interlude - Tucking as He Rolled
Part 2 Chapter 28 - Wake Up
Chapter 29 - In the Shed
Chapter 30 - Cat and Mouse
Chapter 31 - A Matter of Trust
Chapter 32 - What to do with the Mouse?
Chapter 33 - About to Jump
Chapter 34 - Flying
Chapter 35 - The Right Question
Chapter 36 - A Lurch
Chapter 37 - Chaos in the Sky
Chapter 38 - Trapped
Chapter 39 - Agent Barney
Chapter 40 - Smith’s Problem
Chapter 41 - Galley
Chapter 42 - Spelunkers
Chapter 43 - Flagstaff Memorial
Chapter 44 - Penny Wakes Up
Chapter 45 - A Who Clue
Chapter 46 - Roadrunner Rest Area
Chapter 47 - Liszt
Chapter 48 - Outside the House of Mirrors
Chapter 49 - Puzzle Pieces
Chapter 50 - Driving
Chapter 51 - Penny and Penelope
Chapter 52 - Flash Blinks
Chapter 53 - Adjusting and Discovering
Chapter 54 - Marie
Chapter 55 - The Last Gate
Interlude 2 Interlude - September 11, 2001 11:53 p.m.
Part 3 Chapter 56 - Getting Home
Chapter 57 - Flies in the Soup
Chapter 58 - Wake Up Again
Chapter 59 - Penny’s New Job
Chapter 60 - Revelations
Chapter 61 - A Penny Has Two Sides
Chapter 62 - Sinking Sedona
Chapter 63 - Hop To It
Chapter 64 - Capitol Bound
Chapter 65 - Lockered
Chapter 66 - Penelope Makes Her Move
Chapter 67 - Street View
Chapter 68 - Family Reunion
Chapter 69 - Street/Other Street and The President
Chapter 70 - Beltway Vice
Chapter 71 - Smith and the Brains
Chapter 72 - Mirror Time
Chapter 73 - Engine Control
Chapter 74 - The Way Back
Chapter 75 - Rescue Operation
Chapter 76 - When A Plan Comes Together
Chapter 77 - Way Home
Epilogue
A Note from the Author