ExcerpTuesday: Bisi Leyton

Wisteria and Myopia (Wisteria series 1&2)

by Bisi Leyton
BLURB for Wisteria:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

BLURB for Myopia:

Sixteen-year-old Wisteria has embraced her deep bond with eighteen-year-old Bach, a member of a supernatural race called the Family, despite the risk of his family finding out. Should Bach’s people discover his bond with a human, Wisteria will be guaranteed a painful and bloody death—but somehow, being together is more important.

Their bond is tested when empirics, an elite group of Family investigators, are sent to the Isle of Smythe under the orders of Bach’s father to find artifacts stolen by the humans. They’re to find the artifacts at any cost. Among the empirics is Bach’s old friend, the stunning Alba, who has learned about Bach and Wisteria’s secret relationship, and surprisingly accepts this. With no one else in the Family to turn to, she becomes Bach’s ally and confidant, but possibly more.

As the empirics start to take over the town, Wisteria is torn between trusting Bach and the safety of the humans on Smythe. She soon realizes that she and Bach are on opposite sides of the war between the Family and Humans, and there is no middle ground. One of them must choose a side.

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Excerpt Wisteria
Thirteen months after the first official case of Nero Disease

“Wisteria, run!” Rebecca O’Leary screamed over the radio.

Wisteria Kuti whipped around and came face-to-face with the blood-red eyes of a hungry flesh-eating biter. The biter was a man, infected by Nero Disease, who had long lost his mind. He looked more animal than human and he wanted one thing—to feed on the flesh of uninfected people. The biter growled and staggered toward Wisteria.

She fled down the deserted road to the nearest house. The front door was locked. She kicked at the door, but it didn’t open. Taking out her handgun, she smashed through the window of the door.

“Ugh,” more biters growled behind her.

She spun around, fired once, and hit one in the head. She unlocked the door by reaching in and turning the lock. Once inside, she chained and bolted the door.

Crash—a biter smashed through another window into the house.

Wisteria’s heart jumped and she darted up the stairs as fast as she could.

“Get out of the house, Wisteria!” Rebecca radioed.

I’m trying.

A biter grabbed her ankle as she ran. Falling hard on the steps, she wailed in pain. “Ah.” No time to cry, Wisteria. She fired at the biter holding her. One bullet left.

Three more biters appeared below and started coming up the stairs. Leaping up, she sprinted to the top floor and dashed into the first open doorway that led to the master bedroom. Locking the door, she headed straight for the window.

The infected clawed at the door, tearing it apart and snarling as they entered

Excerpt Myopia:

“What do you mean no?” Sen Aleix yelled three hours later. The giant of a man stormed down the steps from his throne to the center of the Triad hall where Bach and his brothers stood. “I have provided you with five options for an intended, four more than my father gave me and yet you stand here and say no?”

“Sen, I am sure there is a reasonable explanation,” Yordi implored, his voice echoing through the empty hall. “Bach—”

“I do not want to hear you speak again, Prime Yordi.” Pushing Yordi aside, Sen Aleix grabbed Bach by the collar.

“Sen, please,” implored Belem, Bach’s stepmother.

“Shut up, woman. Bach, you pick one today, do you understand me? There shall be no discussion on this matter.” Letting go, he pushed Bach to the ground.

Embarrassed, Bach quickly rose. He was glad that only his brothers and stepmother were in the room to see this.

“Now tell me.” The Sen retook his seat. “Who will it be?”

“Why?” Bach demanded. “I do not have to name my intended now. At least not until I have completed my Great Walk.”

“Be quiet,” Yordi said to him.

“No, the Sen never picked your intended or even Lluc’s. Lluc is older. The Sen has not put him under this pressure. Why is he expecting this from me?” Bach asked Yordi, but he was really speaking to his father.

“What the Sen is asking is not unreasonable,” Yordi remarked. “The five girls are more than suitable. D’cara, if you do not want Talia, I will be happy to trade her with mine.”

“You want to know why I have made settling you down my priority?” the Sen asked in a low voice. “Why I had to debase myself to negotiate your pledge and concern myself with the nocturnal habits of our socialites, when I should be ensuring the prosperity and security of our people?”

Something in his father’s tone made Bach decide he didn’t want to know the answer.

“Because I heard rumors about you and the free Terrans—you were communing with them. I need you to show me and the Pillar they are not true,” his father continued.

Bach couldn’t understand how his father suspected this. He’d been discreet.

“Free Terrans? I Father—what?” Yordi stuttered.

The hall fell silent.

Bach felt all the blood drain out of his face.

“So tell me, are those stories true?” his father demanded.

“Of course, they are not true. Bach could never commit such an abomination,” Yordi barked at his father. “How can you say that about your own son?”

“Tell me, why does he not decide? Alba is his old friend. I do not see why that would be a problem for him and Talia is very beautiful. But he acts like it is true. Do you prefer Terrans?”

“Father!” Yordi shouted angrily at the Sen. “How can you say something so base and disgusting about your own son? I would be within my rights as your Prime to kill you for that.” He advanced to the Sen

“Yordi, stop.” Lluc grabbed his older brother. “Father is just angry.”

“No! No, he has insulted us all.” Yordi broke free, but this time Bach and Lluc restrained him. “There is no anger that justifies what he said about you. Does he think our mother was an animal he bought on the streets, so he can speak to you like that?”

“No, but Bach needs to explain it to me,” Sen Aleix demanded, unmoved.

“He just needs time to decide. You make this sound like it is an easy decision, you of all people know the price of choosing badly,” Lluc explained. “Let him finish his 1,000 days. When he returns, he will have decided.”

“That sounds fair,” Belem said softly.

“Fine.” The word spewed from the Sen’s lips like poison.

This calmed Yordi down and the boys let go of the Prime. Adjusting his suit, he turned to Bach. “Explain to our father, so he understands you are not perverted.”

“Once I have returned from Terra with the answers.” Bach wanted it to be true.

His father didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and dismissed his sons.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Wisteriabooks
Current Blog: http://bisileyton.blogspot.com/
Old Blog: http://bisileyton.wordpress.com/
@bisileyton
http://www.goodreads.com/Bisileyton
BookTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TWuWK_bbY&feature=context-cha and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvC9iJckrs4&feature=context-cha