EXCERPT
Hear Me
(Breaking the Rules Book 2)
(Breaking the Rules Book 2)
by H. R. Hobbs
Hear Me is the second book in the Breaking the Rules series by H. R. Hobbs. The author stops by today to share an excerpt.
Description
When a bully targets her friends, can one girl find the courage to speak up?
Hannah thought her bully problems would end after her day in court. But her testimony against Brady and his lenient punishment only make him hungry for revenge. As the new school year begins, Hannah and her friends find themselves in the crosshairs of Brady’s cruel pranks …
When her friends are punished unfairly, Hannah is determined to clear their good names. But as Brady’s scheme becomes more elaborate and dangerous, Hannah can’t help but feel terrified. In the face of hatred and abuse, can Hannah find the courage to speak up for what’s right?
Hear Me is the second book in an insightful series of young adult novels. If you and your child like true-to-life characters, stories that examine the power of friendship, and blueprints for coping with bullies, then you’ll love H. R. Hobbs’s empowering tale.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
I stood gazing out the wooden window frame, watching as robins swooped and fluttered through the branches before disappearing into the leaves of a tree. I envied their freedom.
I wished I could grow wings and fly away.
I sighed and looked over my shoulder at the clock that hung on the opposite wall. Ten minutes had passed since I’d last checked it and I wondered, for the hundredth time, how long it would take them to come and get me. Trudy and Chip were somewhere in the building, sitting in a room similar to this one.
Were they watching the minute hand creep around the clock like me?
“Come and sit down, Hannah.” My mom patted the chair beside her. “It’s only been forty-five minutes. I’m sure they’ll be in to get you any time now.”
I moved from the window and sat in the chair beside her. My mom didn’t look up, but continued to flip through the copy of Lawyer Monthly she’d taken from the stack on the table when we’d arrived. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Riveting stuff!
We sat silently and I found myself looking out the window again. But from this vantage point, the robins were no longer visible. Disappeared—like I want to.
“Stop!”
My head swung in Mom’s direction. “What?”
“You keep kicking that chair. I’m going to have to pay for it.”
I looked down at my foot and saw the toe of my sneaker battering the leg of the chair across from me. I uncrossed my legs and placed my feet on the cracked linoleum floor.
Before I could check the clock again, the door on my right opened and a tall man dressed in a uniform walked in. The sunlight from the window reflected off his balding head. “Miss Williams,” he said—he was looking slightly above my right shoulder, but I knew he was talking to me—“the court is ready to hear your testimony. Please make your way to the witness stand.”
I tried to take a deep breath, but my chest constricted. Again, I cursed Brady for pleading “not guilty.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“This book is a great read in so many ways. First, it is extremely well written with a compelling story. Though it's written for the Young Adult market, I, as an adult, could not put it down. I kept turning the pages to find out what would would happen next.” ~ Janice G
“I appreciate that the author kept the story clean and accessible for kids, yet powerful enough to speak to readers of any age, including adults. A great read - I highly recommend it!” ~ Kimberly Miller
“I highly recommend Hear Me as a springboard for the tough conversations adolescents are craving to have/need to have about bullying, group think, underaged drinking, prosocial behaviors, and dealing with stress.” ~ Hillary
“The themes, while serious in nature are balanced out by its bright and upbeat writing style. An excellent read!” ~ G dosAnjos
“The writing is original, different from what I have been reading so far, multi-layered and very engaging. I highly recommend this read not only for young adults but to parents as well.” ~ A. G. Morgan
About the Author
H. R. Hobbs has loved books for as long as she can remember and it’s the reason she became a teacher and most recently, a writer. An educator for nearly thirty years, H. R. Hobbs writes realistic fiction that connects to teens and young adults. A mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three little darlings, she resides with her husband in the small prairie town where she was born and raised. Hear Me is the second book in her Breaking the Rules series.
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