“Forget having
to lock your doors, predators are right at your fingertips—in the bedrooms of
our children. The Falling of Stars is a terrifying revelation of the dangers
lurking online, and a must-read in this age of technology. -- Willow Aster, USA Today bestselling author
The Falling of Stars, an all-new intriguing psychological
thriller from Traci Finlay, is available now!
When a high school freshman commits
suicide, everyone at Liberty School of Excellence is shocked—especially Eve
Hunter, who is not only the English teacher at Liberty, but also a friend of
the victim’s family. Although devastated, Eve is prepared to offer her love and
support.
But when the grieving mother
discloses her theory that her son was secretly bullied to death at school, Eve
is conflicted. Not at a prestigious school like Liberty, Eve is certain.
Regardless, she agrees to do some underground (and possibly illegal)
investigating—even if that means risking her career. After all, the pain of
losing a child trumps that of losing a job.
Eve isn’t the only one delving into
secrets. Her son, Malik Hunter, is a sophomore at Liberty whose perfect life is
a perfect lie. Behind his good looks, straight A’s, and the facemask of his
football helmet, Malik battles a crippling depression. But someone sees through
it all. Someone who reaches out to him on LibertyNet, the school’s online
intranet. Someone who seems to know Malik better than he knows himself. Someone
evil.
Eve believes a cyberbully may be
lurking in the dark realms of LibertyNet.
Malik knows there is.
Unless anybody in this household is
willing to reveal their secrets, someone could end up falling over the edge …
literally.
Download your copy today!
Excerpt
MALIK
She stares at my lips and says, “Tell me a secret.” She’s
smiling, even though she’s hiding behind her cup. I can tell because her eyes
are twinkling.
I lean back in my chair. “What kind of secret?”
She shrugs and sets her cup down. “Everyone knows everything
about you, Malik. Your life’s an open book. We know your parents, everything
you do on campus, which cheerleader you date, what you eat for lunch … tell me
something no one knows.”
I tug on my bottom lip as I stare at her. “I don’t want to
play football anymore,” I say before realizing what a stupid idea this is.
Her jaw drops and she glances around, like she’s scared
someone might’ve heard. “Malik, did you say what I think you just said?”
I nod.
“You—but you’re like, the best football player ever. You’re
gonna get a scholarship! What would your dad say? Oh my gosh, he’d die. Your
teammates would die! The entire school would go under.”
I hold up a hand, laughing nervously. “Okay, okay. See why I
didn’t want to say anything? You’ve just described the apocalypse.”
“But why? Don’t you love football?”
I nod as a leaf flutters from the tree onto the table. “Do
you have any idea how much pressure I’m under, twenty-four, seven?” I glance at
her as I pick at the leaf. “So many people rely on me for so much, and … I just
want to relax sometimes, you know? Just be a kid and fuck around. Take off the
pressure, just do my own thing.”
“Well, what is your own thing? What would you be doing
instead?”
“I don’t know, anything. I don’t want to be associated with
something so severely, you know? I mean, you hear my name and you immediately
think ‘football.’ I’m not allowed to be human. To make mistakes. I gotta be
like a soldier, on guard at all times. And I take a lotta heat if other people
fuck up, too. I—it’s just—”
I stop and look at her, and she’s assessing me. I can’t
believe I just spoke all these words aloud. To another person. What have I
done?
About Traci
Traci Finlay grew up in the
Midwest and transplanted to Florida for college. She received a bachelor’s
degree in Communication Arts with a minor in English, met and married the love
of her life and moved to Miami, where she currently lives with her husband, two
sons, and two smart-mouthed dogs.
Growing up, she
loved reading books, but had a particular passion for mysteries. Throughout her
adulthood, she’s taken many writing courses and written three psychological
thrillers she plans to publish soon.
Connect with Traci
Website: https://www.tracifinlay.com/
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