While Ganix watched, purple fire bloomed in the magician’s bare hands, and he sent it whirling over his head. The flames turned into a dragon that twisted through the air. Shoppers stopped to stare. Some clapped. A few tossed coins into a basket at the edge of the stage, and Hurlock thanked them with a smile.

—excerpted from Byways, Book #7: Across the Line

A Ganix Johns Adventure. I’ll be working through final flourishes on the seventh of the Byways books over the next couple weeks. Hardly a chore. Ganix gets into the most fascinating fixes! We’re closing in on the May release of the next batch of three Byways books, and I can’t resist sharing a few snippets and sneak peeks. Today, I’ll show off part of the cover sketch for Ganix’s next story—Across the Line.

Travel suits the youngest Johns boy. He enjoys meeting new people, and his infamous luck is holding. The race is a breeze! However, in Ganix’s newest adventure, Mr. and Mrs. Johns urge him to find permanent travel companions. Ganix doesn’t think he needs anyone looking out for him. But then he meets someone who needs him.

Hurlock, an enslaved magician working as a street performer.

I love the illustration Hannah Christenson has created for the cover of Across the Line, which showcases Hurlock’s dramatic fire magic. I’ve already decided this is the art that’ll go on the next Byways postcards! A full cover reveal is scheduled for mid-May. Look forward to it!

I’ll be sharing more sketches and snippets from Byways Books #5, #6, and #7 in the next several weeks. In the meantime, please read, review, and recommend the first four books in the series. That’s the best way to cheer on the brothers as they race across Liberty! More series details >>