by Tracy Korn
The other one steps into the light wearing a white knit hat that matches his seamless shirt and pants, which look just like the ones Eddie wore when he picked me up in the heliocar.
I shake my head at him. At myself.
I should have seen it coming.
"Just tell me one thing, Finn," I say with the last of my energy. "Were you working for Spaulding the whole time you were pretending to help me find Grisham, or is being a traitor a new development for you?"
He pulls off his hat, and his black hair falls loose around his shoulders instead of in the ponytail I'm used to seeing him wear. He walks toward me, expressionless, then looks over his shoulder. When he turns back to me, he's grinning.
"Stop looking so worried, man," Finn whispers. "Let's get back to work."
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AQUA: Book 1
TERRA: Book 2
Acknowledgments
Of the three books in The Elements series so far, AER was the hardest to write because it was the last push toward the peak of the series. Like all last pushes, it required the most energy when there was the least, but as the saying goes (and as I told myself often throughout the writing), I did not come this far to only come this far. As a result, the characters stretched—often against their will, which tends to be the case, doesn't it? Some of them discovered they had internal pillars of strength while others found their ceilings crashing down on them. One thing I wanted them to learn along the way is something that I have learned along the way…if we do not transcend our environments, there is no one to blame but ourselves, and if we do, there are usually countless people to thank. As the pages of AER progressed, the book became about fear and the fallout of selfishness it causes in some, as well as the bravery and depth of character it can bring out in others. I found myself wanting to write about how sometimes when we are the surest, we can be the most lost, and when we feel the most lost, we have only to look inside for our true North. For me, this book examines the dichotomy of illusion and reality; what's between those two bookends is the story. That said, we made it, guys, and I would like to thank the following people for their help along the way: my fantastic beta readers, Katie Casavan, Ron and Deb Commons, Emily Gangloff, Abby Gray, Sami Hensley, Margarita McClain, Xavier Moss, Dominic Porter, Lorelei Porter, Sidney Robison, Tracy Siri, and the irreplaceable Anna "Iron Chef" Swenson. As always, Jim Emmons and the University Park Barnes & Noble staff, with James, and Jon at the Carmel, Indiana Barnes & Noble, thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, and for being awesome friends in storytelling. I'm going to make characters of you all yet. My former students involved with this project, especially Arianna, Devlin, Derek, Josh, Liam, Olivia, Timmy, Will, and Zoe, thank you for inspiring the souls of these characters. To me, you will always be real life superheroes. My great friend and writing partner for well over a decade now, Ryan Bachtel, thank you once again for your objectivity and honesty in this and all things. Your friendship is priceless. Mom, thank you for your unwavering support and faith in whatever path I choose. My belief in myself came from your belief in me (remember the day you told me you knew I could horse whistle if I just kept working at it? I wouldn't be who I am today without you…and I definitely wouldn't be able to horse whistle). My kids, who are almost not kids anymore, thank you for inspiring me daily with your bravery, tenacity, kindness, and for being genuinely loving, happy, thoughtful people. You have made my life the greatest story of all. Finally, my husband, James, for weathering the best and the worst with me. Your character, strength, and internal compass alone make you the partner I'd pick all over again. Thank you for being at my side on this crazy journey, and for always having my back.
And to you, reading now…thank you for sharing this undersea, out of this world adventure with me. I hope you love these stories as much as I do.
About the Author
Tracy Korn is a veteran English teacher, robotics coach, novice cinematographer, and all around science geek. Her high action/adventure YA fiction (beginning with AQUA, book one of The Elements series) was inspired by her students' everyday superpowers of empathy and problem solving. When she's not spending time with family, writing, reading, teaching, or coaching, she can be found rolling around in the lawn with her family's two new puppies.
Tracy holds Master's degrees from Indiana University in Secondary Education, in Language, Culture, and Literacy Education, and in English. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their two very own superheroes. Stay in touch at www.TracyKorn.com.
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