I’m excited to share an excerpt from Wendy Russo’s debut novel, January Black, which released this week. Congrats, Wendy! This looks like a great read. And I love the cover! Wendy is celebrating her release with a blog tour and giveaways! I’m thrilled to be one of her tour stops. Also, somewhere below is a link to a hidden post on Wendy’s blog. (Password = matty). Commenters on this hidden post will be entered into a drawing for a free, signed copy of January Black.
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.
More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.
What was January Black?
It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He’s been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost…or call the king’s bluff.
Excerpt from January Black:
“I looked over your last test today,” the king said, now leading the group.
The Regents’ School expelled Matty that afternoon from its elite King’s Class. The infraction itself was insignificant. However, he had been admitted to the class on a probationary basis, and only because the king arranged his admission on behalf of the commandant. Matty’s latest test answers were the last of a long line of subtle “subversions” that his instructors would tolerate, his father be damned.
After a long pause, the king continued, “I found your answer to question six interesting.”
“Interesting, sir?”
“Very.” The king turned to descend a sweeping staircase. “Unless you would rather have me believe that you were doodling.”
“No, sir.”
“Please explain.”
Matty was already in trouble. There was little use in holding back now. “The instructor is boring and the section is a joke.”
“And?” the king prompted him for more.
“He expects his answers, not correct ones.”
The king spun around at the bottom of the stairs, blocking Matty’s path. He crossed his arms. “You drew the atomic model for magnesium.”
“Yes, sir.” Matty said, meeting the king’s eyes as he stopped on the lowest stair. They were brown.
“It was a civics test,” the king said before walking away. Matty followed. “The question regarded the Assembly.” Downstairs resembled upstairs, except for a burnt orange wall in what Matty assumed was a sitting room. “Explain.”
“Twelve.” Matty looked around for something in the king’s home that would belong in the palace. He found nothing. “Twelve protons, twelve electrons, twelve prime regents.”
“So, the fact that magnesium is sour and highly combustible, that’s just a coincidence?”
While admiring the gleaming steel kitchen, Matty walked right into a wall. “Shit!” he cried out while grabbing his hurt shoulder. His heart stopped and splashed down in his stomach. He wondered if he blurted that as loudly as he thought.
The king’s reply was careless. “I do that all the time.”
“Really?” Matty asked. The desire to hide in a closet grew stronger by the moment as the king’s guardians tried not to laugh.
The king nodded but said, “No.”
Bio:
Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.
Links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16692299-january-black
Blog: http://wendysrusso.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-S-Russo/134565346603922
Cindy Young-Turner 
Love this scene! :c)
It’s a great scene! This one is going on my TBR list!