Black Bead: Book One of the Black Bead Chronicles

"The opening book of the Black Bead Chronicles is a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller that manages to infuse intensive world building with riveting conflict. Lakey has accomplished what most authors set out to do by creating a world that is reminiscent of popular Science Fiction, both classic and modern (Dune, Firefly, and Luna all came to mind) while inserting a unique voice and spin." - T.J. Lantz, Author of Rise of the Retics "The themes of synchronicity, and interconnectedness, run a vivid vein of silver through the story. There are great lessons here about cooperation, and the valuable insights that could be lost if you discount one person (or class of people) because of arbitrary class distinctions." - Aislynn D'Mericksson, Professional Reader, NetGalley Member, Aislynndmerricksson.com "Ms. Lakey has created a rich world, combining elements of science fiction and fantasy, and has gone to great lengths to develop, create, and explore this world. As I read, I found myself reminded of The Giver mixed with elements of Tolkien's works and The Hunger Games ." - Jacqueline Smith, Author of Boy Band "I truly loved the relationships that were formed in the pack. I originally was intrigued by events and the society in this world. However, it was really the pack's relationships with one another that got me hooked." - Jenn, ThriceRead.com "An entertaining and excitingly written novella which grabbed me from the get-go and connected me emotionally to the characters, especially Cheobawn and Tam. I was amazed by how smooth and well-edited the book was, how easily the story flowed, and how little my inner editor was required to do." - Laura Probst, Lolly's Library From the Inside Flap What if you were on a colony ship and your spacecraft landed on a planet where all the animals and some of the plants were psychic? Not just psychic but psychically adept at manipulating their environment?If you were a band of renegade scientists, you would genetically alter yourself and your children to be able to compete in the savage world of escalating mind games and then create a social system that honed the skills that would keep you alive.Cheobawn has been born into just such a world. Two thousand years after planet-fall, she is the culmination of human bio-engineering. She doesn't think of herself as special. Just the opposite, in fact. But the universe is shifting out from under her feet and she is forced to keep up with the changes happening inside her and the expectations of the adults of her tribal dome.On a planet full of predators, one cannot stay small and hidden forever. It's time to come out and play. Welcome to the world of Cheobawn, the Black Bead. J.D. Lakey was born and raised on the high plains of Montana under an endless sky and as far from civilization as anyone in the twentieth century could get. There she explored the finer nuances of silence and the endless possibilities of the imagination. The stories were always there. The shifting of fortunes finally granted her the time to gather all the stories and give them flesh.xa0An avid reader of science fiction and comics, she currently lives in San Diego, California where she divides her time between her writing, commuting on the I-5, and spending time with her friends and family.jdlakey.comfacebook.com/JDLakeyAuthor/Instagram: @jd.lakey.books Read more