Shh! It's a secret.

Follow the clues. But beware…

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5 Friends, A Dangerous Game, & The Truth About The Family Business

“This book surprised me! I cannot tell you what surprised me because I want it to surprise you.”

~ Kellee Moye – Moderator of the “Keep Them On The Edge Of Their Seats” panel, Assembly for Adolescent Literature at NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)

Nothing Is What It Seems . . .

In the ordinary town of Sunnyslope, CA…

Five Friends race against time to solve a digital game involving ancient artifacts that hold the fate of the world in the balance. When their parents go missing, they learn of a history that is best kept secret.

As the chaos unfolds, they’re forced to decipher clues, crack codes and anticipate their next moves. Readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats at every turn.

Excerpt from Book One

SYNOPSIS: Book One

The Lost Tribes by C. Taylor-Butler

TribesFullCoverBen Webster dreams of two things, making the basketball team and joining his globe trotting uncle, Henry, on a world expedition. But he faces two obstacles. He can’t play basketball, and his parents won’t let him tag along with Henry.

Ben’s life soon changes. After months of practice, his skills on the court miraculously improve and he’s a contender for the team roster. It is then his uncle arrives on the heels of a raging storm and announces a challenge of his own. A digital game that involves tracking down ancient tribal artifacts hidden around the world. If Ben completes the game in seven days, he’ll earn the adventure of a lifetime: a place on his uncle’s final expedition.

Ecstatic, Ben digs in only to be stuck on the first challenge, a hieroglyphic password. Once solved, the puzzles become more complex and he’s forced to enlist his neighborhood friends — Grace Choeden and Carlos Lopez — for help. But it also means including his arch nemeses, Serise Hightower – an extraordinary hacker, and his sister April. Together the five rush to decipher the clues and avoid booby traps only to be blocked at every turn by their own parents. Working in secret, they soon discover the game points to an even bigger mystery and leads to a devastating discovery about the true nature of the family business.

…..Be careful what you wish for.

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Excerpt from Book One

The Lost Tribes, Chapter 5: Morning Rituals (excerpt)

“Here you go!”

Ben’s mother planted a kiss on his cheek before shoving a pill and a juice glass into his hands. It signaled the daily ritual of a multivitamin so large it could choke a dinosaur and a slimy blue-green drink so vile it probably lead to their extinction. The juice he called “green glob” sparkled and moved as if it were an alien life form.

“I’m trying something new,” his mother said, beaming. “What do you think?”

Ben closed his eyes and drew a tiny sip across his lips. He forced his grimace into a smile. “Tastes like pomegranate.”

Her eyes arched in surprise. “Pomegranate? Good idea! Full of antioxidants. I’ll add some tomorrow!” She placed a second glass on the granite countertop and filled it with the remaining glob, using a spatula to force the last tenuous drops out of the blender. “Finish up.”

Tongue tingling in a way that didn’t seem natural, Ben stared into his glass while slipping the pill into his pocket. This morning, all his friends were sitting down to a breakfast where pancakes, bacon and clearly identifiable fruit juices were on the menu. He was stuck with a botanical concoction his mother brewed — probably in a cauldron.

“You sure this stuff’s good for me?”

“It will counteract the effects of all the junk food you eat when you think I’m not looking. So will that pill in your pocket.”

Busted!

“So what’s in this new juice?” Ben asked.

“Trust me,” his father said. “You don’t want to know.”

Ben’s mother threw a dish towel at him. “Bio-organic tofu, seaweed, kelp, soy beans, mango, kiwi, banana,” she said proudly, “and a few secret ingredients from my garden.”

Ben grimaced. He’d seen the weird stuff growing in her garden.

(text copyright, C. Taylor-Butler, 2015)

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THE LOST TRIBES (BOOK ONE)

 

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Hardback: $18.95  Order on Barnes and Noble

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Nook: $8.49  Order on Barnes and Noble

Thanks to my readers for making my book launch a success! The Lost Tribes is now eligible in the Barnes and Noble Kids Club program! Join for free. Barnes and Noble is offering The Lost Tribes for 30% off if you select it as your first book here: Barnes and Noble Kids club

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  • The Lost Tribes by C. Taylor-Butler
  • Publisher: Move Books, Beacon Falls, CT
  • ISBN-13: 978-0985481087 Hardback 
  • ISBN-13: 978-0997051377 Paperback

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MEET THE TEAM

coming soon . . .

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    BEN WEBSTER

    Team Leader

    “I’m going to be famous!” 

    Pg. 18

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    APRIL WEBSTER

    Patterns Expert

    “Jazz! Mr. Windom said I could try improvisation!” 

    Pg. 51

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    GRACE CHOEDON

    Puzzle Breaker

    “Next time give me a real challenge!” Pg 28

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    SERISE HIGHTOWER

    Computer Hacker

    “Face it! You need me!” Pg. 63

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    CARLOS LOPEZ

    Science Specialist

    “One day you’ll be thankful I’m so prepared!” Pg 55

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    ARIS

    Cat With An Attitude

    “The shadow remained but the cat was gone!” Pg 8

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    UNCLE HENRY

    Expedition Leader

    with a mysterious past

    “Remember, the clock is ticking.” Pg 21

THE 5 FAMILIES

Medie Webster – Chemist, Botanist

Jeremiah Webster – College Professor

Maria Lopez – Archeologist

Frank Lopez – Astrophysics

Cheryl Hightower – Museum Curator

David Hightower – Historian, Meteorologist

Mei-Ling Choedon – International Translator

Shan Choedon – Diplomat, Translator