Book Spotlight and Excerpt: Bandy by Craig R. Hipkins

Isaac’s only friend is a passenger pigeon named Bandy. He deludes himself in believing the bird talks to him. Bullied, he is resigned to a life of being the misunderstood bookworm by neighboring boys until a disastrous fire kills his parents and little sisters, sparing only his younger brother, Thomas. He and Thomas are taken in by their Uncle Raymond, an abolitionist, who plans to send Isaac to Virginia to buy Joy, a young slave with debilitating health, from her slave owner, Wil Jericho. Shortly after arriving in Virginia, Isaac learns the ugly truth. The butler who accompanied him on the journey killed his uncle before leaving and plans to do the same to Isaac to steal Raymond’s estate.

Isaac, with Joy, escape into the backwoods of Virginia. Discovering passages of the Underground Railroad, stowing away in carriages, hiding in churches, and outwitting the mercenaries hired by Jericho, the two teens fight tooth and nail to make it to Boston before they’re caught. Will Joy be taken from this life by sickness before she’s found freedom? On their journey, they learn a lot about each other. Isaac promises to bring Joy to Bandy's pond, a heavenly place where peace and serenity reign.

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Excerpt

Isaac awoke with a start. For a few seconds, he lay there listening. Something had awakened him. He heard it again. A dull thumping sound from up above.

The first thing he noticed was that the lantern had gone out. He could hear Joy’s shallow breathing next to him and he decided not to wake her. It might be nothing but his imagination running wild. He felt for his belt and pistols. They were still next to him. He told himself to calm down, but when the thumping sound was heard again, his heart began to race. This time it was much louder, and it awakened Joy. She instinctively tapped Isaac on the shoulder, not being able to see him in the darkness.

“Isaac, what was that?” “I don’t know.”

She nudged closer to him and heard him cocking one of his pistols. “It might be Ada or one of the other conductors,” she said.

“I wish that lantern had not gone out,” Isaac whispered.

“Well, that might be for the best right now,” she said. “If someone does happen to find this room, they won’t think there would be anyone down here in the darkness.”

Isaac agreed but fumbled around in his duffel bag searching for his tin. He finally found it and struck a match, holding it over the lantern.

“There is still oil,” he said. He then looked at his pocket watch.

“It is half past six. We have been sleeping for hours,” he said, blowing out the match.

Another loud thump caused them to jump. Isaac clutched the Colt tighter. Suddenly, a grating noise and a soft light appeared at the curve of the stairway. They held their breath and waited.

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018) He is an avid long distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.

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 Website: https://hipkinstwins.com

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Amazon Author Page: https:// www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004RDJMNC

Goodreads: https:// www.goodreads.com/author/show/19975162.Craig_R_Hipkins