Burning Doors by Renee N. Meland

BURNING DOORS

The Extraction List Series Book 2

by Renee N. Meland

SYNOPSIS

Cain Foley committed his first murder before he could even drive a car… 

Not that he would’ve had anywhere to drive to.

 When he was fifteen, 

America was one of the poorest countries in the world, 

and its’ citizens took their hatred of that fact

 out on each other through gangs and violence. 

Children barely tall enough for carnival rides

 peppered the streets selling drugs (or themselves)

 so they could buy their next meal. 

Every night on the news, 

Cain watched as an angelic blonde woman 

who lost her own child swore she’d end it… 

She assaulted America’s televisions

 with praise for the Parental Morality Law: 

a set of rules that spells out exactly what it takes

 to be a parent in the eyes of the government, 

and the consequences of breaking those rules. 

He prayed every night that she’d come to rescue him

 before his father took off his belt again. 

Before she could save him, Cain faced a fatal choice… 

Fight back or die on the basement floor. 

He chose life. 

Now on the run,

 he finds himself being hunted by a police officer

 with his own special brand of torture. 

Before he can save even a handful of the children

 who have been swept up in the gang life, 

he must first cover up not one, 

but two murders. 

His father’s and one committed by a teenage madam

 who is either the love of his life, or his final undoing. 

As he feels himself being pushed further

 and further to the edge, 

Cain realizes that surviving his father

 was just the beginning.

EXCERPT

The first time I killed someone, it was an accident. Though I guess it was the kind of accident that happens when you squeeze your hands around someone’s neck for too long, or when you shove someone who is standing too close to the edge of a building. In my case, I accidentally killed my father when I beat him to death with a pipe.

He had set me up that night, I’m sure of it. I was always careful to leave the TV volume down so I wouldn’t be caught. But when I flipped the power on that night, the news roared. The woman I wanted to see was there, giving a speech like always, but her voice came out with the force of thunder. Sweat drenched my body when I heard the door to my parents’ upstairs bedroom fly open and hit the wall. The foundation shook and so did my limbs. I sat frozen in a seated position as I heard his footsteps. All I could focus on were his shiny patent leather shoes coming toward me. Even in the middle of the night, he took the time to slip them on.

I could smell him before I even saw his feet. He constantly stunk of mouthwash and old cologne; it was some putrid mix of sandalwood and beach vacations that we would never take. He cackled as he stepped toward me, so the minty air from his breath reached me before his hand did. I felt my head hit the floor before I felt the familiar sting in my cheek.

“You’re so stupid. You really think you’ll ever leave here? Where do you think you’re going to go, huh? You need me. She hasn’t come for you and she never will!” He kicked me in the side with his foot.

My stomach clenched from the impact.

I usually kept quiet when he hit me. At most, I would agree with whatever he was saying to stop him before he did real damage.

It never worked.

No matter what I said, or didn’t say, the blows would keep coming. My mother was always conveniently upstairs, but no one can tell me she couldn’t hear the snap of his belt or the furniture rattle as he shoved me into it.

That night was different. Maybe it was watching the woman from the television, or maybe it was the way his smile stretched across his face as he struck me, I don’t know. But when he was finished and heading back upstairs, I spat towards him.

My cheeks burned as I did it. In fact, my whole body felt like it was on fire. But I’d be lying if I said I wished I could take it back. Even when he turned, eyes wide when he noticed the wad of saliva glistening on the concrete floor, I didn’t regret it one bit.

I may have even cracked a smile.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

What made you want to write? 

I wanted to write because when I was little, my favorite thing to do was “play pretend,” which was basically making up stories. Now I get paid for it.

What genre(s) do you write in? 

I don’t really pick genres. I just come up with ideas and wherever they fall, they fall. Burning Doors happens to be sci-fi.

What was the first book you ever wrote? 

We used to write books in my first grade class. I think it was about a girl raised by dinosaurs.

What is your favorite out of all of your books, published or not? 

I would have to say Burning Doors.

And what makes this your favorite?
Cain, the main character, is by far my favorite character I’ve ever created. I adore him.

What is your daily routine when it comes to your writing?

I try to write for at least an hour a day, but it doesn’t always happen. But I tend to find a way to produce fairly quickly, so I guess it works out.

What is something that you struggle with when it comes to writing? 

Getting through the scenes that need to be in the novel in order to develop certain things, but aren’t necessarily exciting.

What is your favorite thing about writing? 

I get to create new worlds and people that area as real to me as anything else.

Where do you get your ideas for writing? 

Anywhere and everywhere.

Who is your author inspiration and why? 

Chuck Palahniuk. He has his own style that is nothing like anyone else’s, and he truly cares about inspiring would-be writers.

What is your favorite book of all time and why? 

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. He is unbelievably gifted and I truly belief that book is sci-fi at its best.

Where do you see your writing career in 5 years? 

Hopefully with a few more books under my belt and a steady following of readers.

List of Works:

The Extraction List

Burning Doors, Book 2 of The Extraction List Series

Leave Me Lost, Book 3 of The Extraction List Series

Anything else you want to share:

Leave me Lost, Book 3 of The Extraction List Series, is out June 23rd!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Renee N. Meland is an avid writer and reader of speculative fiction. She and her husband reside in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When she is not writing or being a devoted doggy-mom, she is gardening or learning a new recipe. 

She is currently working on the rest of the books in The Extraction List Series. Other upcoming projects involve reincarnation, and a house filled with people who all have something to hide.

WHERE TO FIND HER

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