Welcome to our stop of the Rival by Cindy R. Wilson Book Tour! We'll be sharing an excerpt from the book with you today! Rival is a contemporary romance novel. This book tour is organized by YA Bound Book Tours. Please read on to read an excerpt and learn more about the book!
ABOUT THE BOOK!
Author: Cindy R. Wilson
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: October 7, 2019
For years, our families have had one rule: We leave them alone. They leave us alone. When Juno caught me scavenging for supplies in her family’s territory, I had no idea that the war between our two families was about to be pushed to the edge.
But she takes a chance on me. Trusts me. Lets me go.
Now there’s a greater threat to both sides. Someone’s stealing from my family, too.
And it’s up to me to find the thief before anyone else. Because if I can’t, both sides will blame each other. Rule broken. Game over. No one wins.
My only ally is Juno. The one girl I can’t be found with. The one girl who tempts me like no other. She’s the definition of off-limits. If our families knew how we look at each other, and kiss each other…
Star-crossed doesn’t even begin to describe our fate.
READ AN EXCERPT!
JUNO
Juno turned away from the buzz of lights when she felt sand beneath her shoes. Her feet sank in, and a quick breeze blew off her hood. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust, to scan the docks and the markers—which were her idea—that indicated where the nets and pots were. There were half a dozen of them, bright spikes of orange plastic from street signs she’d found a few weeks ago.
For the last two days, the nets and pots had been almost empty. Her trial run at helping Pillar fish a few days a week wasn’t going well. It almost didn’t seem worth it anymore. Sometimes she thought it would be better not living here at all. She could leave the community and go live by the bridge like the wanderers over there. The ones without a safe territory like hers.
Over there, the only enemy was hunger.
When a shadow appeared near one of the docks, Juno drew in a sharp breath and dropped to her knees. Her hand rested on the handle of the knife. It was probably someone patrolling, one of their own. It had to be. Only an idiot would waltz into someone else’s territory, thinking they could get away with it.
Juno kept still as she watched the figure. Dark clothes, cautious footsteps. Smart. But no one from her community would be sneaking around like that, because they had rules. They had stations where they were supposed to be every night.
Which meant it was a neighbor.
Her heart hammered in her chest, and her fingers tightened on the handle of her knife. She crawled forward, trying to follow the figure. Short hair, tall build, most likely male… Damn. What was she supposed to do? She hadn’t brought the whistle because she wasn’t supposed to be out here until morning. And what was a knife going to do if he had one of his own?
Maybe he’d wander off when he realized he was in the wrong territory.
Unless he was here on purpose.
When he walked through the middle of her markers and straight to the nets and pots, her teeth clenched. She pulled out her knife. What the hell? Was he trying to get himself killed?
She rose to her feet, sand catching in her shoes and in the cuffs of her pants as she crept in his direction.
He waded into the water and pulled at one of the nets, leaning close to the surface. Probably looking for fish. Her fish. No wonder the pots and nets had been empty the last few days.
He’d been stealing her catch.
She gasped and then slapped a hand over her mouth to cover her shock, even though it still rolled through the rest of her body. How could he? Stealing was the lowest of lows—especially when every piece of food counted.
Juno turned away from the buzz of lights when she felt sand beneath her shoes. Her feet sank in, and a quick breeze blew off her hood. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust, to scan the docks and the markers—which were her idea—that indicated where the nets and pots were. There were half a dozen of them, bright spikes of orange plastic from street signs she’d found a few weeks ago.
For the last two days, the nets and pots had been almost empty. Her trial run at helping Pillar fish a few days a week wasn’t going well. It almost didn’t seem worth it anymore. Sometimes she thought it would be better not living here at all. She could leave the community and go live by the bridge like the wanderers over there. The ones without a safe territory like hers.
Over there, the only enemy was hunger.
When a shadow appeared near one of the docks, Juno drew in a sharp breath and dropped to her knees. Her hand rested on the handle of the knife. It was probably someone patrolling, one of their own. It had to be. Only an idiot would waltz into someone else’s territory, thinking they could get away with it.
Juno kept still as she watched the figure. Dark clothes, cautious footsteps. Smart. But no one from her community would be sneaking around like that, because they had rules. They had stations where they were supposed to be every night.
Which meant it was a neighbor.
Her heart hammered in her chest, and her fingers tightened on the handle of her knife. She crawled forward, trying to follow the figure. Short hair, tall build, most likely male… Damn. What was she supposed to do? She hadn’t brought the whistle because she wasn’t supposed to be out here until morning. And what was a knife going to do if he had one of his own?
Maybe he’d wander off when he realized he was in the wrong territory.
Unless he was here on purpose.
When he walked through the middle of her markers and straight to the nets and pots, her teeth clenched. She pulled out her knife. What the hell? Was he trying to get himself killed?
She rose to her feet, sand catching in her shoes and in the cuffs of her pants as she crept in his direction.
He waded into the water and pulled at one of the nets, leaning close to the surface. Probably looking for fish. Her fish. No wonder the pots and nets had been empty the last few days.
He’d been stealing her catch.
She gasped and then slapped a hand over her mouth to cover her shock, even though it still rolled through the rest of her body. How could he? Stealing was the lowest of lows—especially when every piece of food counted.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR!
Cindy lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She's the mother of three girls, who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Cindy writes speculative fiction and YA fiction, filled with a healthy dose of romance. You'll often find her hiking or listening to any number of playlists while she comes up with her next story idea.