Before the Ashes

Kingdom Come #0.5

by Cecelia Earl

Kari's actions will shake the world as she knows it... and there's nothing she will be able to do to fix the error of her ways.
Kari is nobody special. She's a high school spirit enthusiast, an aspiring Homecoming Queen, and a--almost--straight C-student who benefits from tutoring sessions with the antisocial, actual Homecoming Queen, Julia White. Kari's a pleaser, and she'll deny herself anything if it means making someone else happier, and that includes Julia. So, if that means studying to get a good grade on her math test, then that's what she's bound and determined to do.

Yes, Kari's just another senior at Shady Creek High School... until shadows creep to cover the land around her renovated farmhouse one autumn evening. It's a night she won't remember, but its impact will shake the world as she knows it. Because in those shadows hides a powerful, conspiring demon with big plans for her.

And one day soon, he'll order her to put those evil plans into play. Just this once, she needed to say no. She needed to deny someone--no, something--what he was asking for. Because, by summer, nobody will be safe. Especially not Julia. And acing a math test won't fix the error of Kari's ways. Nothing will.

Before the Ashes is a Kingdom Come Series Short Story, a prequel to When Ash Rains Down.  It's a short story, and the finale won't play out completely until the end of the series. It's also written from a different point of view than the three main novels in the series, so the main character's voice will read differently than Julia's. Enjoy getting to know Kari better and getting a glimpse into her background. 

Praise for Before the
"Sweet with a menacing touch at the end ." ~ Vera, Amazon Reviewer 
"Perfect Prequel for the Kingdom Come series. I absolutely look forward to reading more. I highly recommend this series!" ~ Kimi, Amazon Reviewer  

Genres: Short Stories, Young Adult

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2017

About the author

Cecelia Earl credits her passion for penning fiction to a mandatory sixth grade study hall. She could have gotten her math done, but instead chose to write a teen mystery series, loosely inspired by Sweet Valley High, Trixie Belden, and Nancy Drew--her favorite series at the time. She never shared the stories with anyone, and time moved on. Sadly, she had no more mandatory study halls during which to write.

It wasn’t until she had three children, worked full-time as a teacher, and kept a home relatively tidy that she realized her passion for writing wasn’t something she had to give up with childhood and the end of study halls. Four years and five novels later, she wrote the first book in the Kingdom Come trilogy.

She lives with her husband, three sons, and male dog near enough to Green Bay, WI that her refrigerator is always stocked with cheese, and the first colors her children learned were green and gold. (She happily spends time with her female characters whenever the testosterone levels get too high in the house.)

She can usually be found snuggling her kids, reading on the couch, drinking strong coffee, or sipping Malbec. Once in a while she vacuums.

To receive a Kingdom Come series exclusive sneak peek collection and future book updates, notification about giveaways, and behind-the-scenes information, etc. sign up for Cecelia's newsletter! http://eepurl.com/cdvvIj

Learn more: http://www.ceceliaearl.com

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Or find her on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest @authorcecelia

Reviews

[Vera Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet with a menacing touch at the end, especially for anyone who has already read the books in this series. Poor Kari looks up to and slightly envies Julia but to Julia, she's just one of three who needs tutoring in math.
Still, Kari humanizes her, letting us know the overall impression of Julia by her classmates is that she's smart and diligent and surprisingly very nice.
Kari has a little more fun but wants a bit of what Julia has, like the adoration of Cole. Julia might not see it, but others do.
It's interesting to read this story from another POV that belies Julia's opinion of herself, making her selection as homecoming queen not so far out of left field, making her a classmate, if a little busier and faced with something profound.
The scenes with Kari and the mysterious boy are masterful.
Very intrigued and already guessing about what's coming in the summer.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kari is a sweet girl that will do anything to make the world a brighter place for others. This is a cute short story that fills out the character met in “When Ash Rains Down”. A lot of backstory is explained and one really wants to read how Kari’s story ends.

Would’ve liked more story, though.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. We meet Kari before the actual story gets going. Intriguing.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kari, one of the trio of friends known as 'Karis Cubed' is disappointed not to be Homecoming Queen. She decides to swallow her disappointment and make the occasion special for winner, Julia White. Her efforts don't quite go to plan, however, and the arrival of a strange, mysterious boy shakes things up.

This is an intriguing short prequel to the series. It definitely gave me a 'Point Horror' vibe, a series of books I absolutely loved as a teenager. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this author's series.

[MJSH · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting short story from Kari’s perspective. She appears as a superficial third of a trio who really just exists to annoy Julia and Cole in the first book, but this story adds dimension to her character. And for those who read the three full-length novels in the series, this story will give depth to Kari’s involvement in the last/third book of the series. I think this story is best enjoyed if read after the first book in the series so that you get a sense of who Kari is before hearing her own story. It should be read before the third book, though, so you can see how Kari evolves. Fun!

I was given a copy of this story from the author/publisher via JustRead Publishing Tours as a part of the first book When Ash Rains Down and was under no obligation to post a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

[Fay Tannerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

This prequel novella to When Ash Rains Down was great. I loved getting to know more about Kari. When I first read When Ash Rains down, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about Kari, but after reading Before the Ashes I really like her now! Kari is a high school spirit enthusiast, an aspiring Homecoming Queen and one of the 'Karis Cubed.' When Julia White is crowned Homecoming Queen, Kari decides to do everything she can to make this Homecoming amazing for Julia. This is perfect for fans of the Kingdom Come series!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a week in the life of Kari. From the time she doesn't get homecoming queen and almost flunked out of trig to the homecoming dance. It gives you a chance to realise a little about what makes Kari tick. Its a real good character study that lets us understand more about whats going on in the background of our series .Thank you Cecelia.
I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it.

[Cecelia Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a blast writing this short story from the point of view of a character readers will meet later on in the series. Before the Ashes is a prequel to my Kingdom Come series and it sets into motion a catastrophic event that won't come to fruition until the end of the series. I hope you'll love this story and its characters as much as I do.

[Rianonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the writing style of this short story which sounded someway off.
Especially after reading the first 3 chapters of the first book in the Kingdom Come series which gave me the impression like someone else wrote the lines.

[Jessica Wilhelmsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good beginning of a series but reading it first didn't give so much.More then that you will read the next part. Nothing special isn't really happening but I'm sure for those who read the other books it may give some answers.and

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm just not in the target audience for this story I think. Homecoming, cute guys, nail polish... not inspired to read the series.