Eleven-year-old Drake Bailey is an analytical thinker and the genius of the Timekeeper crew. However, no logic or mathematical acumen can change the color of his skin, or prepare him for this third Timekeeper mission in antebellum Georgia. To survive, Drake must learn to play the role of a plantation slave and when confronted with the brutality, hatred, and racism of the deep south, he’ll have to strategically keep one move ahead of his sadistic captors to ensure his lineage continues.
In a dark world of Voodoo, zombies, and ritualistic sacrifice, the Timekeepers must ensure a royal bloodline survives. Can Drake remove both literal and figurative chains to save both himself and a devout slave girl from a terrible fate? If he can’t summon the necessary courage, humanity could stand to lose one of its greatest leaders.
Excerpt:
Drake read over their Timekeeper mission again. Blood. Deep south. Race. Broken. Soul. Red flags waved through his mind like a category five hurricane. He’d seen one too many movies and documentaries to know 1855 was not a great time in history for people with his skin color. Drake shut the Timekeepers’ log, and shook his head vehemently. “There’s no way in hell I’m gonna go on this mission, Lilith!”
Lilith wrinkled her long, narrow nose. “I understand why you have these fearful feelings, Drake, but I do not choose where you go into the past. Belial is the one who holds that power, and seeks to disrupt history whenever he sees a chance.”
“May I see the Timekeepers’ log, Drake?” the Prof asked.
“Sure, Prof, but I’m still not going,” Drake replied, passing the log over.
“Can he do that?” Ravi asked, glancing at Treena.
“I don’t think so. It’s like signing a contract for a movie. You’re committed to finishing the film or you face the studio lawyers. Case closed, gavel down.”
“Lilith isn’t a judge.” Ravi looked at Lilith. “Right?”
“No, Ravi, I am not your judge, but what Treena said rings true. You were all chosen as Timekeepers for a reason, and are bound by this covenant,” Lilith replied, unclasping her hands. “That is all I can offer you.”
“Fine. I’ll just remove my Babel necklace,” Drake said, digging under his shirt. “Problem solved.”
“Drake, why are you freaking out like this?” Jordan asked, helping Amanda to her feet. “It can’t be as bad as fighting the Nazis in our second mission.”
“Yeah, or being interrogated in the Gestapo Headquarters by Belial’s creepy crony Marcus Crowley,” Ravi added.
“Why don’t you ask Amanda why she puked? It wasn’t because she had warm and fuzzy feelings about this mission,” Drake argued.
Melody wiped Amanda’s chin. “Do you feel well enough to speak?”
“I…I think so.”
Professor Lucas whistled. “Now I see why Amanda was sick to her stomach. Using the words deep south and the date as a clue, this mission puts us in the antebellum era, six years before the American Civil War began. This period was filled with so much hate, racism, turmoil, and political upheaval, I’m willing to bet these emotions went right through her.”
“If Uncle John is right, why would Belial want to change anything back then?” Jordan asked, frowning. “That slithering douche-bag lives for human suffering during those dark times in history.”
“Exactly.” Drake removed his Babel necklace. “So why tempt fate?”
“N-no, Drake, you have to come.” Amanda reached for his hand, and squeezed it. “Trust me, you’re an important part of this mission.”
“Huh? How?”
“It’s hard to explain. I just know you have to be there.”
The book is available at the following links:
AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Noble-Slave-ebook/dp/B09CZ1CQNX/
AMAZON.CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Timekeepers-Noble-Slave-ebook/dp/B09CZ1CQNX/
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING:
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave
BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave-sharon-ledwith/1140033348?ean=9781987976823
APPLE BOOKS: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave/id1581757739
About the Author:
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
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As I sit here in my mostly-packed-up room on my final evening of quarantine, my main emotion is thankfulness. I’m thankful to be getting out of here tomorrow, yes, but also thankful for so many blessings God gave me in this place. I love my wonderful city and sunset view up here on the 22nd floor, and the amazingly comfortable bed (it’s actually comfier than my bed at home!). I’m thankful that the room came with a desk and chair so I could easily use my laptop, and that the air conditioning works GREAT (I’m going to miss running the AC 24/7 at no extra cost!), and that there’s a fan and a mini-fridge, and enough cupboard/drawer space to put all my stuff away so I didn’t have to spend two weeks with it all over the place (those who know me well know how much that would have driven me crazy!). I’m thankful for the little luxuries I was able to bring or request from my apartment or that people sent as gifts: Dance Dance Revolution that’s been so perfect for exercise in a small space, an HDMI cable that’s let me use the hotel TV as an extra monitor, fresh fruit and fun snacks, coloring supplies, extra changes of clothes so I didn’t have to do (much) laundry in the sink, a coffee mug so I didn’t have to try to drink coffee out of tiny paper cups, even a baggie of salt to liven up the daily hard-boiled egg. I’m deeply grateful for the internet and the opportunities it brings to keep in touch with friends and family through email, Facebook, and video calls. And most of all, I’m thankful for all the ways in which God has shown me that I’m not alone. He’s been here with me in this little room all along, never abandoning me, constantly pouring out his love and grace and kindness and blessings upon blessings on me. THANK YOU, LORD. That’s all I can say. Thank you. I’m so grateful for the many gifts I’ve received from him and others these past two weeks. Thank you.
And that’s it, ladies and gentlemen. This is my final night of quarantine. My luggage is mostly packed, my alarm is set for 5:00 a.m., and we check out at 6:00 tomorrow. In less than twelve hours, I’ll be home!
Over and OUT!
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Today I will give you a tour of my suite here at the HiOne Gallery Hotel! I bet you didn’t know it had so many rooms and facilities!
I hope you enjoyed the tour! In all seriousness, I’ve been pretty happy with my quarantine accommodations. Obviously, I’d rather be at home, but if you’ve got to be shut in a room somewhere else, this is a pretty comfortable room to be in. I have a lot to be thankful for.
Anyway, on to today’s meals.
I’ll close with this picture from earlier today, when it was rainy and foggy. As much as I’m looking forward to going home the day after tomorrow, I have to say, I will definitely miss the view from my 22nd-story window!
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My fun activity for the day was decorating my eggs. Yep, with hard-boiled eggs showing up in almost every breakfast, I haven’t always been able to bring myself to eat them. These two had been living in the fridge for a while and needed a new purpose in life. I don’t claim to be particularly artistic, but I enjoyed turning them into art. Now if only I had somewhere to display them!
The next big event that happened today was the field trip! We’d been told the taxi would arrive at 10:00 this morning to take Floyd and me to get our PCR tests. At 11:30, right after lunch was delivered, someone from the front desk finally called my room to say the taxi was there. I stuck my uneaten lunch in the fridge, put on my shoes, picked up my purse, put on my mask and face shield, remembered at the last minute to grab the key card to my room, and stepped out into the hallway. Wow, what a weird feeling. I found my way down the hall to the elevator and made it down to the lobby after just one mixup where I temporarily got out on the wrong floor when someone else got in (you forget how these transportation devices work when your only transportation device for twelve days has been your feet in a pretty small area). There were about four people manning the front desk, which seemed weird in a hotel where no one goes in or out except after twelve days, and then again after fourteen days. They had me leave my key card with them and pointed me to the taxi waiting just outside. And there was Floyd! I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see him in person again!
The taxi took us to a little hospital about 5 minutes’ drive away, where we had to wait outside the front door. Then a pink-clad nurse came out and filled out paperwork, asked us medical questions, took our blood pressure, and checked the oxygen levels in our blood (all outside the hospital door). She took our passports and health insurance cards inside, along with our payment (150 NT each; about 5 U.S. dollars). I got a kick out of the fact that she sprayed our money, passports, and cards down with disinfectant before she took them.Then we got directed to a tent set up in the parking lot where the scary man you see below was waiting to do scary things to us from the other side of a window. I will spare you the details except to say that it was more painful and lasted longer than the PCR test we had to take before we could fly to California at the beginning of the summer, and this time they stabbed us in BOTH nostrils.
Then we stepped back into the waiting taxi, which brought us back to the hotel. I wished he would drive more slowly or take a detour. We would gladly have paid for a VERY LONG detour, if the driver been willing to spend the afternoon driving around the city! Alas, no, he was under strict orders to bring us right back to our hotel. It was really hard to say goodbye to Floyd as we trudged back to our separate rooms. Harder than when we parted ways at the beginning of quarantine. Stepping back into my empty room alone was more difficult than I had expected, too. My quarantine experience really hasn’t been all that bad, especially compared to some people’s. But leaving Floyd behind and shutting the door behind myself hurt. At least I only have two and a half days to go!
Here are today’s meals:
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I decided to try a little pre-breakfast experiment: one packet hazelnut instant coffee (sadly, it doesn’t include creamer – I didn’t realize that when I ordered it online to bring with me to quarantine), one packet “3in1” instant coffee (with creamer and sugar) provided by the hotel, and two large squares of extra dark chocolate, all stirred together in hot water in my mug showing my awesome niece and nephews.
Verdict: the niece and nephews are still pretty awesome, but the coffee mixture, not so much. The dark chocolate is a little too extra (bitter). I’ll stick with the two types of coffee from now on. Oh well, it was worth a try!
I heard some exciting news today. I found out that I get to go out on my field trip tomorrow! I wasn’t expecting it till day 13 or 14 of my quarantine, but my quarantine officer called and said the taxi will come and pick us up at 10:00 tomorrow morning. Yes, you heard me right: I said US! That’s right, Floyd and I will get to ride in the taxi TOGETHER! It will take us to a local hospital, where a doctor will administer PCR tests as one final check for COVID. Then the same quarantine taxi will take us back to the hotel for the rest of our stay (which has not been shortened, unfortunately, just because our field trip got moved up – Floyd asked!). I’m so excited, both to leave my quarantine tomorrow and to see my husband face to face! Maybe we can even (gasp!) hold hands in the taxi!
Here are today’s meals.
Now I’m watching Taiwan play China in men’s badminton for the gold! See you tomorrow! GO, TAIWAN!!!
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Today got off to an exciting start. When I heard the thrice-daily squeak of the meal trolley starting down the hall, I peered through the peephole in my door and saw three Real Live Human beings out there delivering breakfasts! Just to clarify, for anyone in doubt: yes, there really were three of them together! I saw all three of them all at once right outside my door!!!
As if that wasn’t enough, breakfast was exciting too. To my shock, it contained NO BOK CHOI! Not only that, but there were no green leafy vegetables involved at all! That was the first time that has happened in any meal here. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Did it even count as a meal without bitter stir-fried greens?? Oh well, at least there was some form of pork, a mysterious translucent glutinous glob, and two fried items (not to mention the boiled egg that has shown up at every breakfast except yesterday’s so far – in this case, it was stuck to the glutinous glob), so I suppose it could still qualify as a not-too-abnormal quarantine meal after all.
Since this was the tenth full day of my quarantine, it was time for me to take the COVID self-test they gave me at the airport. I had never done anything like it before, and I was quite nervous, but with the help of an instructional video (that I watched twice), I managed to get through it. Later, my quarantine officer called to ask me if I had administered the test to myself and what my results were. I offered to send her the picture I had taken (below) as proof, but she said she was happy to hear I was negative, and that was all she needed.
Another piece of excitement happened on this eventful day – this was actually the most exciting of all (and not in a good way). I was sitting in my cell minding my own business like a good little inmate (okay, fine, I was jumping on the bed. Hey, I needed exercise!) when all of a sudden an announcement blared through the hallway speakers in Chinese. It was the first time I’d heard anything from those speakers (I didn’t even know there were speakers there), and I couldn’t understand anything the person was saying. The message repeated several times, sounding insistent and urgent.
Of course the first thing I thought of was the news article from a month ago, about a fire that broke out in a different quarantine hotel here in Taiwan. (Okay, to be honest, the FIRST thing I thought was that it was some sort of announcement that guests shouldn’t jump on their beds, but it only took me a second to realize how unlikely that was! Yeah, I guess I was feeling a bit guilty….) Anyway, not everyone in that other hotel was able to evacuate in time; there were a number of injuries, and three people died trapped in their rooms (plus a firefighter).
So I sniffed worriedly around my door but didn’t smell any smoke. Should I open it? What if the announcement was about something totally different, and I left my room inappropriately and got served a huge fine? I remembered another news item about a quarantined man who stepped out of his hotel room and walked back and forth in the hallway for EIGHT SECONDS, and was fined $3500 for breaking quarantine! Just in case, I put on my mask so at least I wouldn’t get in trouble for going out without one, pulled my laptop bag out of the drawer where I keep it, and started scrambling around for important items to pack in case I did have to rush to safety. Meanwhile, the announcement kept repeating intermittently, sending my pulse racing faster each time.
Fortunately, a friend quarantining in a different part of my hotel correctly guessed that I would be freaking out and called me to tell me what was going on. It was just an announcement that we should all stay in our rooms as they tested the fire alarm system! Sure enough, then an alarm started to sound, so I’m really glad she got ahold of me before I heard it, or I would truly have freaked out! Of course, it was at that point that someone from the front desk sent out a text on the Line app in English and Chinese: “Hello,sorry to bother you, we’re now testing the Fire security. if you hear the alarm,please stay calm,thank you”
Once the scare was over and the alarm stopped, I knew I was back to normal because I wanted nothing more than to proofread their message and send it back with the errors fixed (and perhaps an offer to let them hire me to proofread any other hotel materials). And to ask them to please send us a warning in English next time BEFORE the Chinese announcement and the fire alarm, thank you very much!
Anyway, I’ll close with this nice, calm picture of my view this evening. If you’re reading this on a large enough screen, you may notice the building reminding people to stay home!
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Today was a pretty uneventful day. There isn’t much new to talk about, so here’s a picture of my evening tradition.
Long before we left California, Floyd bought me this special package of coffee nut M&Ms as a quarantine treat. I was very disciplined and did not open the package early! Once we got here and I unpacked my luggage in my room, I put it in the little fridge. Every evening in between dinner and bed-time, I take it out and empty eight M&Ms onto a tissue on the little table where I eat my meals. (I checked the serving size and number of servings on the package and did the math. That’s how many I get per day in order to have the same amount each day of my quarantine.) Then, as I’m working on my daily blog post or other things, every time I get up for a stretch break, I walk over and eat an M&M. I almost always have them one at a time, drawing out my dessert over the course of the evening. Today, though, I actually combined them with a little package of mixed nuts, seeds, and raisins that I had, and I must say, it made quite a delicious trail mix!
Anyway, on to my meals. As you can see, breakfast involved a surprise again today!
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Today I got to enjoy video calls with a total of six different friends and family members (some of them together on one call). It was awesome to connect with so many special people! And another blessing that came later was that I received another care package today. Yippee! One thing I have learned is that the little things can be big blessings in quarantine!
Okay, now for today’s meals. Not many surprises there, unfortunately … except with breakfast!
Well, one more day is just about over. Eight down, six to go! It’s all downhill now that I’ve passed the halfway point, right? Right??
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Something amazing happened today. For the first time in a week, I made direct contact with a Real Live Human Being! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I can confirm that the fabled species really does exist. I opened the door of my room to pick up my lunch, and lo and behold, a Real Live Human Being was out there! He was only about twenty feet away when I spotted him, placing food outside another door down the hall. He was dressed in a hospital gown, gloves, and a mask, because what else would someone wear when walking past the closed doors of people who might be bringing COVID-19 into the country, even though they’ve all had at least two negative COVID tests in order to get there? Anyway, he saw me, probably gaping at him like an idiot from my doorway (good thing I was wearing my mask). Almost to my surprise, he didn’t turn to flee. In fact, he actually said hello! And I found my voice and said hello back, and I thanked him for lunch, and he said you’re welcome! (All in Chinese.) And as he turned to go, I shut myself back in my room feeling moved and grateful that he was willing to make eye contact and communicate, instead of shying away and treating me like a walking, talking virus. Believe it or not, the encounter actually brought tears to my eyes. (Hey, if you think I’m pathetic, you try spending a week without any direct contact with a single Real Live Human Being!)
This morning I did a little surgery on my slippers. The hotel had provided three pairs of disposable slippers in the room, and all of them are now completely worn out. But fortunately I have some useful mending supplies with me!
I was reminded today of how much God has blessed me here. The song “Count Your Blessings” made it into my short but growing quarantine playlist. The picture below shows a collection of some of the items he has used to bless me in this room. Most were gifts from family or that friends sent over in care packages, or items they gathered from my apartment for me. I have it so good here – I really can’t complain! (Even though I still sometimes do.)
Anyway, here are today’s meals. Guess what? There was a real winner today! (I mean that literally, not sarcastically!)
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. We are officially halfway through our quarantine! Sometimes I can hardly believe we’ve been here only a week. But knowing that we’ve made it to the halfway point makes the rest of it seem more doable. I’ve survived this long. With God’s help, this long again won’t be too bad. But boy am I looking forward to going home sweet home!
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Today was both good and bad. I enjoyed the chance to participate in an online Zumba class with some friends. That was followed by two separate enjoyable conversations with fellow authors who are just starting out on their careers and needed some help with the publishing process. (Shameless plug: take a look at the services I offer authors here.) But after that I had a headache and felt really stiff and uncomfortable from sitting so long (about four hours altogether!). Normally, I’m really good about getting up and taking stretch breaks. I have an app that reminds me to do it every ten minutes, so then I get up and walk from the door to the window (nine steps), turn the corner around the bed, and walk to the wall beside the little table (three steps), then back to the door again, for a total of 24 steps round-trip. I normally do this five times in a row before I sit back down at my computer again. As you can probably imagine, there was a very noticeable difference in my overall sense of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing after skipping most of my regular walking for four hours! I did feel better after some Dance Dance Revolution, a shower, and a banana.
Well, here are today’s meals. I have to confess that it’s gotten to the point where, as soon as I open the containers, I inevitably sigh and say, “Oh, it’s you again.”
I’ll close with one final picture for the day – not of the sunset this time. This is the label on the outside of the door of my cell, er, hotel room. When I open the door to pick up my meals from the chair outside, or to set my daily bag of trash out, I see notes like this on all the doors up and down the hallway. They are the constant reminders of the dates each prisoner, er, guest, came in and will be allowed to come out. And yes, it’s technically a little more than two weeks, since we’re required to stay for fourteen FULL days. The partial day when we arrived doesn’t count; neither does the few hours after midnight that we’ll probably stay on the final partial day. (I do know some fellow quarantinees who are planning to leave at 12:01 a.m. on the day their sentence, er, stay is up, but I imagine Floyd and I will stay for the rest of the night, since we have to pay for it anyway, and check out the next morning.)
Six days down.
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