“What was that for?”
“Just because…” Sarah said. “Don’t ask why. See you soon!”
With that she rushed off through the same door that her father had disappeared through minutes before, her guards hurriedly chasing after her.
Sam wasn’t sure if he walked out of the ceremonial hall as much as he floated out of it. He was dizzy and felt light as a feather.
Outside, dozens of wagons circled slowly, creating a traffic jam. Searching through the loads of people, Sam finally spotted his parents. He waved and ran over to them, hauling himself into the back of the wagon.
“Did you see?” Sam asked, holding up the medal.
“We saw the whole thing,” his mother said. “You’re a hero.”
“I’m proud of ya,” his father said, and then the wagon started to move.
Sam watched Dashelmore disappear behind them. He couldn’t stop smiling. Although the summer was just getting started, Sam couldn’t wait for it to end.
AUTHOR’S AFTERWORD
So you made it! Or, if you’re anything like me, sometimes you cheat and jump to the end to see what the author has to say. More often than not these days, I read the story first, but occasionally I’ll allow myself to surrender to the urge. It’s really just a matter of curiosity; an eagerness to get inside the writer’s head.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed Sam Finch and the Zombie Hybrid. I had a blast writing it. And that’s saying something, because more often than not, getting the words on the page is about as much fun as a visit to the dentist. While Sam Finch wasn’t born fully formed, I had a pretty good idea of who he was, the people he would meet, and the choices he would have to make. I knew he would be out of his element, and that was fine – because who doesn’t love an underdog?
Where did the idea come from? That’s a question I get asked a lot, as I’m sure most writers do. My short answer is always, ‘Everywhere.’ An idea comes when you least expect it; while watching TV, in the shower, reading an article, or, most often, when I zone out and just let my mind wander (my mind did some of its best wandering years ago, back when I was still in school – it was a lot more fun than listening to my teachers).
Sam Finch started out the same way. I asked myself a simple question: What if there was a special school for warriors? What would that be like? And what if there was this smart kid that really wanted to go, but he was kind of a wimp and his parents were always telling him it was a really bad idea?
Well, what do you do whenever your parents tell you not to do something? SPOILER ALERT – You do it anyway! Why would Sam be any different? He’s always dreamed of fighting trolls and vampires and dragons. It doesn’t matter that he would probably do a lot better in any of the other schools; like Mage Skills or Holy Arts or Alchemy. After all, his placement tests point to this being the case.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Sam does it anyway. That’s his dream, and even at fifteen, Sam realizes that a kid has to follow his dreams.
And (assuming you didn’t skip to the end and read this part first) you know what happens from there. You also know that there are several mysteries – like what’s up with ugly old Rusty, or how did Finnaeus Conrad, the ancient-looking Holy Arts Instructor, get all those scars on his arms – that still haven’t been explained. For now, all I can say is that some of these mysteries will be answered in the second Sam Finch book, Sam Finch and the Vault of Azaramor (coming March or April of 2013).
In the meantime, if you want to stay updated on the latest news about Sam, including contests and tidbits about Sam that you won’t find in the books, I suggest visiting Sam’s website at http://www.samfinchwarrior.com.
I hope you’ll continue to tag along with Sam and are excited to find out what the future has in store for him. I know I am!
JWB
Table of Contents
Cover
Title
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Author's Afterword
Sam Finch and the Zombie Hybrid (Sam Finch Series Book 1) Page 25
