Today, I’m ecstatic to tell you all that I’m hosting an excerpt of the newly released, second installment to C.B. Lee’s Sidekick Squad series, Not Your Villain! I loved the first, Not Your Sidekick, of which I just reviewed here, and highly recommend the series. Not Your Villain features a transgender MC, Bells, who was introduced in the first. I loved Bells in the first, so I’m excited to read the continuation of the series from his point of view!
Enjoy the excerpt!
Bells’ motorcycle barely has enough charge to make it back to town, let alone all the way to Emma’s house in Andover Heights. It dies, spluttering and stalling, and Bells scrambles off, then runs the rest of the way.
She doesn’t even blink when Bells launches himself through her bedroom window and gets in a fighting stance, ready for anything.
“Hey,” Emma says, barely looking up from her bed. She hasn’t changed into pajamas yet and is still wearing her favorite sunglasses on top of her head. “I know you think the movie adaptation of The Gentleman Detective is terrible, but it’s always good for a laugh… what are you doing?” She raises her eyebrows at Bells.
“MonRobots, the new ones, they just came after me,” Bells says, walking past Emma to the door. “Did your moms ever open that giant present you guys got from Kingston?”
“They came after you?” Emma follows Bells down the hallway and to the basement door. “No, I think they were planning to send it back unopened, why?”
Bells darts down the basement stairs. Sitting in in the corner is a massive box addressed to Samantha Robledo and Family. He rips the box open, and sure enough, a rectangular new MonRobot stands there impassively.
Emma gasps. “Okay. It’s not on, and we definitely haven’t charged it, so it’s probably—” The panel flashes to life, and a series of red lights blinks at them.
“Emma Robledo,” it says.
Bells throws his arms in front of Emma. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Kingston probably had everyone in our family programmed in it,” Emma reasons.
“Kingston approved of Captain Orion experimenting on people!” Bells grabs Emma’s hand.
Hovering above the floor, the robot advances toward them. “I don’t think your MonRobot wants to vacuum!”
“Emma Robledo,” the robot repeats. “Daughter of Council- member Samantha Robledo. Class Five threat. Objective: Detain.”
“What? That isn’t in your— You’re a chorebot!” Emma says. Two panels on the robot’s sides swivel open, and arms unfold.
Bells has seen the various types of arms robots have—vacuum cleaners, brooms, and so on. The ones at the Broussard’s restaurant have cooking utensils.
These arms look like prongs, and a sizzle of electricity pops between the tines.
“Emma, let’s go!” Bells grabs her hand and darts out the door. The MonRobot starts after them. Bells slams the door shut and shoves a table in front of it. Will it hold?
Thump. Thump.
They dash down the long hallway to the exit, and Bells turns to look at the still intact door.
Emma exhales, trying to catch her breath. “Why am I a Class Five threat? I haven’t done anything. I’m not even a meta-human like you—”
“I don’t know!”
Emma shrieks and points at the door; the wood around the doorknob glows as a line of fire laces through it, and then the doorknob falls off. A long arm protrudes through it, finds the table obstruction, and then—
SMASH.
Book Tour Rafflecopter Giveaway:
Grand Prize $25 IP Gift Card + Multi-format eBook of Not Your Villain // Five winners receive the multi-format eBook
Additional Information:
Published: October 5th, 2017
Publisher: Duet Books
Page Count: 286
Genre: Science Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy
Synopsis: via Goodreads
Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he’s got it covered. But that was before he became the country’s most-wanted villain.
After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Meanwhile, power-hungry former hero Captain Orion is on the loose with a dangerous serum that renders meta-humans powerless, and a new militarized robotic threat emerges. Everyone is in danger. Between college applications and crushing on his best friend, will Bells have time to take down a corrupt government?
Sometimes, to do a hero’s job, you need to be a villain.
Interlude | Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Smashwords | Book Depository | Indiebound
Follow the Rest of the Not Your Villain Book Tour!
Thank you for having me on your blog and being a part of the blog tour! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Uh, thank you for writing these adorable and fantastic novels???? Thank you!! ❤️