Excerpt – The Phantom Enforcer by J.W. Jarvis
Synopsis
A supernatural journal. Two kids in over their heads. Can they lead a new Chicago police officer to success in the dangerous south side of the city?
Danielle and Noah’s curiosity gets the best of them when they find another magical diary about an officer’s second year in the country’s second-largest police force. While Dani comes to grips with being a minority female in a male-dominated profession, Noah joins the story as a phantom with unique magical abilities. They soon discover that their past trips have caused unforeseen historical consequences, including introducing an evil phantom with lethal powers.
They must now figure out how to return to the part of the story they interfered with, hoping to fix their mistakes. The kids seek help from the strange bookstore owner, but the spellbound solutions are risky and untested.
Can Noah master his newfound phantom powers to save the townspeople stuck in the books?
The Phantom Enforcer is the action-filled second book in the First Responder fantasy series. If you like adventurous kids, clever humor, and pages jam-packed with suspense, then you’ll love J.W. Jarvis’s blending of reality and enchantment.
3% of all book sales go to First Responders Children’s Foundation, which provides financial support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
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Excerpt
After taking the bus home from school, they grabbed their bikes and headed downtown. Even in late December, while the air was crisp and cool, a light jacket was all that was needed. They settled on a wooden bench in the beach park with a great ocean view. The bluff was about 25 feet above the waves.
“When was the last time you talked to your mom?” inquired Dani.
“Couple nights ago, why?”
“Does she still want you to move to Arizona to live with her?”
“I don’t know, she is buying a new, bigger house and asked me what color I want my room painted. I just don’t see the point of reserving a room for me when I might visit …”
Noah froze, and he could feel bumps rise on the sun-drenched skin of his arms. Dani’s eyes opened wide.
“Are you having a stroke, Noah? You’re a bit young for that.”
“Don’t turn around. I think we’re being watched.”
“Huh … where?” Dani started to turn her head.
“What did I just say? Sheesh! I think I see Mrs. Heks behind a tree at the corner of the park.”
“You’re obsessed with this woman. Are you sure? She doesn’t seem like the type to go sunbathing.”
“Okay … here’s what we’re gonna to do. Take our trash and head toward the garbage can behind your left shoulder. It’s pretty close to the tree that she’s hiding behind.”
Dani immediately got up and quickly scooped up the snack bags and bottles. “Be ready to call 911; she might kidnap me,” she said sarcastically.
Dani moved nonchalantly toward the trash receptacles. Noah pretended to study and then glanced over the cliff on the left at the crashing waves below. Despite having his head turned, he strained his eyeballs to look right and keep Dani in focus. A hunched figure emerged from the tree 15 feet away as she tossed the items in the proper bins.
“Mrs. Heks, what a surprise seeing you here,” said Dani.
“I thought that was the two of you, but I wasn’t sure; my eyesight is not the best these days.”
“Do you come to the beach often?”
“Only the park, really; I don’t want to break a hip trying to get down that cliff to the sand. I pick up spices and flavors for my stews while I am here.” As she finished her sentence, Dani saw a brown beetle crawl out of her handbag.
“Noah is right over there.” Dani pointed in Noah’s direction, and he instantly tried to drop his shameful spy tactics. “He wanted to visit the bookstore later. Will you be there?”
“Afraid not, Child, I have some cooking to do at home of an unexpected guest. Did the finger treatment work?”
“You mean ‘for an unexpected guest,'” laughed Dani.
Mrs. Heks looked confused, then smiled, “Oh, yes, Child!”
Dani motioned Noah to come over, “Yes, the treatment worked well. That’s why Noah wanted to see you.”
Noah waved at the store owner as if it was the first time he saw her that day. He went to grab the book out of his backpack but hesitated. He didn’t have gloves on and quickly wondered if touching the book that punctured his friend’s finger was a good idea. Even if the book did prick him, he wasn’t reading it, so he was safe, right? He realized he was taking too long and just grabbed his whole backpack as he approached them.
His mouth felt dry as he spoke, “Afternoon, ma’am, how are you?” He never seemed comfortable around her, no matter how often they interacted.
“Your dear friend here said you had some questions. Perhaps it’s about the book in your bag there?”
“How did you know we have it?” asked Noah.
“My books are like my children. I always feel connected to them.” Noah stared down as he tried to process that response.
About the Author
J.W. Jarvis lives in sunny California but is originally from the suburbs of the Windy City. When he’s not thinking of ways to create inspiring characters for young minds, you can find him reading, golfing, traveling, or just sipping a hot vanilla latte.
