Secrets - Outcast: JournalStone's DoubleDown Series - Book V

By John R. Little and Mark Allan Gunnells

The Double Down series continues with two stories that explore the very different realities of Karen Richard’s life. The common prologue springboards two talented authors into alternate realities – two stories, two authors, one book. In John R. Little’s Secrets, Karen Richardson can occasionally stop time. She is free to move around while others are frozen in time. She finds the hidden truths of those around her, including her new friend, Bobby Jersey, who may not be all that he seems. At first it seemed fun, powerful, exhilarating, but in the end Karen’s power may cost her everything she’s ever cared about. In Mark Allan Gunnells’ Outcast, Karen Richardson is a college freshman dealing with a non-existent social life, a difficult roommate…and the power of telekinesis. As her powers grow, Karen begins to lose control. Her new friend Bobby Jersey offers his assistance. But is he somebody that Karen can trust, or will her abilities destroy everything and everyone she knows and loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JournalStone
• Release date: Aug 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781940161617

Book preview

JournalStone’s DoubleDown

Series, Book V

Secrets

By

John R. Little

Outcast

By

Mark Allan Gunnells

JournalStone

San Francisco

Contents

Secrets

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

About John R. Little

Outcast

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue: July

About Mark Allan Gunnells

Secrets

JournalStone’s DoubleDown Series, Book V

By

John R. Little

JournalStone

San Francisco

Copyright © 2014 by John R. Little

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

JournalStone books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

JournalStone

www.journalstone.com

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-940161-60-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-940161-61-7 (ebook)

ISBN: 978-1-940161-62-4 (hc – limited edition)

JournalStone rev. date:  August 22, 2014

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014942804

Printed in the United States of America

Cover Design: Denise Danial

Cover Art:  M. Wayne Miller

Cover Photograph © Shutterstock.com and © iStock.com

Edited by:  Dr. Michael R. Collings

Endorsements

"John R. Little, author of Miranda and The Memory Tree, has penned yet another seminal masterpiece of altered time. Secrets runs the emotional gamut, from suspenseful and wondrous, to poignant and bittersweet; an enduring tale that embeds itself, not in the psyche, but in the soul, and remains." – Ronald Kelly, author of Undertaker's Moon, Fear, and Restless Shadows

Little returns with a vengeance. A twisted, voyeuristic tale of dark secrets, sex, and violence, that stays with you long after the final page. You simply can't look away. – Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of Diablo: The Order and Day One

"John R. Little has gained a deserved following for his dark fiction  dealing with time, and now Secrets joins Miranda, The Gray Zone, and  Dreams in Black and White as the latest of his mind-blowing time  trips. Secrets is also the darkest and most unnerving of the stories  as it examines both the small crimes we all hide and the larger ones  that only villains like Secrets’ Bobby Jersey are capable of. Secrets is startling, thoughtful, and riveting throughout." – Lisa Morton, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Summer’s End and Malediction

This story is dedicated to the girl of my dreams, Fatima Monteiro.

I want to thank my pre-readers, every one of whom told me the ending to this story sucked and made me work to come up with a much better one: Tod Clark, Dave Solow, Debbie Pfeiffer, and Glenna Gavigan.

Thanks to Chris Payne at JournalStone for the opportunity to be part of this amazing series of books, and to Mark Allan Gunnells for writing the wonderful story to be a companion to my own.

Secrets

Prologue

Karen looked down at the closest tombstone.  She’d been walking for almost an hour and still hadn’t found what she’d been looking for.

For that matter, she wasn’t sure she even knew for herself exactly what she was seeking.  The one she was looking at now had a woman’s name followed by:

Born July 4, 1960, Died December 10, 1999

Beloved Mother and Artist

She Brought Life to Those Close to Her

A gust of wind blew some loose strands of Karen’s long blonde hair so they covered her view.  She pushed them back behind her ears.

Is that the one?

The voice behind her was gentle but insistent. 

Are you getting tired of looking? 

Karen smiled as she turned to face Bobby.  He stood a respectful two feet behind her, as if he were trying to give her all the privacy she might need while still being there to offer any emotional support.

Not bloody likely, she thought.

Bobby was nineteen years old, just like she was.  Somehow, though, he looked older.  If she didn’t know better, she’d peg him at about twenty-five.  He was tall, rugged, and handsome, exactly the kind of guy who would turn girls’ heads wherever he went.  His deep voice made her wonder if he could have had a future in radio.

Karen, on the other hand, knew she barely looked seventeen, let alone nineteen.  She was slim and short and never seemed to fill out like other girls her age.

Sorry, I didn’t intend to sound impatient, he said.  Take all the time you want.  Time is the one thing both of us have lots of.

Karen nodded. I just need to find the right one.

Bobby smiled.  I know.  Really, it’s okay.

I’m not sure anything will be okay ever again.

Bobby didn’t answer.  What could he say to that?

Karen looked at him with the hint of emotion in her eyes, but she was determined not to let a single tear drop.  She tried to detach herself and just concentrate on Bobby’s face—the dark brown eyes; the pitch-black, curly hair; the dimples she knew would appear when he smiled.

She exhaled a long breath and turned back to the headstone.  I wonder what kind of art she practiced.

Do you want to check?  You can Google it on your iPhone.  Shouldn’t be hard to find if she really accomplished anything.

Karen shook her head.  In a way I’d rather imagine my own truth.  I think she loved to put together collages from nature, picking up stray oak and maple leaves wherever she went and then spending hours rearranging them to tell a story.

She knelt and touched the granite stone, feeling the etchings of some of the letters.

This isn’t the one, she said finally.

Bobby joined her as she walked past a few more tombstones.  None of them interested her.  Only a few had called to her so far.

The sun was starting to set behind them, casting a long shadow through the graveyard.  Karen knew Bobby just wanted her to find the right damned stone so they could leave, but it wasn’t that easy.  It had to be the right one.

If she couldn’t find it, she’d come back tomorrow, and the day after that.

Did you know there’re two thousand people buried here? asked Bobby.

She ignored him.  A cool breeze blew, and she felt goose bumps rise on her arms.  All of a sudden she moved to her right and fell to her knees in front of an old weathered stone.

This is the one, she said.  I found her.

She exhaled a long breath and turned back to the headstone.  I wonder what kind of art she practiced.

Do you want to check?  You can Google it on your iPhone.  Shouldn’t be hard to find if she really accomplished anything.

Karen shook her head.  In a way I’d rather imagine my own truth.  I think she loved to put together collages from nature, picking up stray oak and maple leaves wherever she went and then spending hours rearranging them to tell a story.

She knelt and touched the granite stone, feeling the etchings of some of the letters.

This isn’t the one, she said finally.

Bobby joined her as she walked past a few more tombstones.  None of them interested her.  Only a few had called to her so far.

The sun was starting to set behind them, casting a long shadow through the graveyard.  Karen knew Bobby just wanted her to find the right damned stone so they could leave, but it wasn’t that easy.  It had to be the right one.

If she couldn’t find it, she’d come back tomorrow, and the day after that.

Did you know there’re two thousand people buried here? asked Bobby.

She ignored him.  A cool breeze blew, and she felt goose bumps rise on her arms.  All of a sudden she moved to her right and fell to her knees in front of an old weathered stone.

This is the one, she said.  I found her.

Chapter 1

Karen Richardson was one month past her fourteenth birthday when time stopped in the middle of dinner.

It didn’t scare her anymore.  Not like the first time it’d happened when she was eight.  Now, it was just another part of her normal life, different than everyone else—at least she’d been pretty sure of that; however, her perception on that front was about to take a big left turn—but what the heck.  It was her life, and the hand she’d been dealt was no better and no worse than her friends’.  Just different.

She glanced around the table at Mom and Dad.  Tina was out somewhere, probably letting that idiot Jimmy Berenstein cop a feel (or more) at the back of Oak Park, a few miles down the road.  Jimmy kept borrowing his dad’s beat-up Toyota, even though the old man gave him shit every time.  At least that was what Tina told her.

Dad was in the middle of lecturing about some election or other and how it was every citizen’s obligation to VOTE.  Karen could hear the capitalization in his voice.  Mom had her head down and was intently studying the mashed potatoes on her plate.  Although Dad was supposedly talking to Karen, she knew he was actually including Mom, who didn’t give a rat’s ass about politics.

Karen didn’t either, so she was relieved when time stopped.

Dad’s mouth was open, the last words out of his mouth being, and the sheep in this town…, when his voice stopped like the words had hit a brick wall.

She hadn’t been paying attention, but Karen recognized the cone of silence immediately and popped her head up to check Dad’s frozen face.  She could see a stringy bit of ham peeking out of his mouth.  His eyes bulged, which seemed out of character, but she’d never paid much attention to him when he was on a rant.

Mom’s head was lowered, her eyes staring at the mushy potatoes on her plate.  She looked like she was in prayer, possibly asking the Almighty to shut her damned husband up.  Her arms hung beside her, and for a moment, she looked off balance, like she could topple over at any second.

The radio had been playing Payphone by Maroon 5 when Karen had been mercifully pulled out of the lecture, at least temporarily.

She had been trying to calculate the minimal amount of food she’d have to eat before being allowed to leave the table.  Now, she just let go of her knife and fork, which dutifully levitated in midair, not caring that she was giving them a reprieve from gravity.

Maybe Mom’s prayer actually worked, but only for Karen, not for herself.

She dabbed her mouth with her napkin, a habit long instilled into her by her mother, who always worried that Karen would leave the table covered in food and that everybody who saw her would stare and wonder what she’d been eating.

Truth was, it’d been several minutes since any food at all had found its way into Karen’s mouth, but she used the napkin without even realizing she’d done so and then folded it neatly in half and placed it beside her plate.

It’s been a long time, she said to herself.  As she pushed the chair back and slid out, she tried to think back to when time had last frozen for her.  Two weeks ago?

Three, she decided.  Tina’s birthday.

She remembered it because time froze while Tina was swinging a baseball bat to smash the ridiculously oversized piñata that Dad had hung in the middle of the back yard.  He’d had to rig a complicated set of guy wires, but Tina was useless at hitting it.  The display became one of the more boring things Karen had ever had to sit through.  When things froze, Karen took advantage, grabbed the bat from Tina’s hands, and took a swing herself, ripping a hole in the piñata.  When time started again a while later, it looked like the giant stuffed elephant had just decided to shit candy, as it rained down in the middle of the lawn, six feet away from where Tina was swinging.

This time, I just want out of here, she said.  The day had been wasted, listening to several of Dad’s rants.  She tried to hide in her bedroom at one point, but it was a shared room with Tina, who was there getting everything just so for her hot date with Jimmy.

Some date, Karen had muttered, but that only got her a glare from Tina.

You’re just jealous, little girl.

Yeah, right.  Like I want that asshole poking me with his dirty little prick.

Shut your mouth!

Tina had been prancing around the room in her bra and panties, painting her nails and mucking with her hair like she was the freaking queen of Siam or something.

Karen left to go downstairs, figuring that even being lectured at was better than watching Tina get ready for her fuck-fest.

As she walked downstairs, she could hear Tina singing softly.

Maybe I am jealous, she thought.  Just a little.

*   *   *

Now she left the house and started to walk down to the beach.  It was usually a forty-five minute walk, and it still felt that way to her, but of course no time at all had actually passed by the time she arrived.

Free time, she called it.  Time that nobody else had and she cherished.

Well, nobody else except Bobby Jersey, but she didn’t quite know that yet, not in the front of her brain where she did all her conscious thinking; but maybe deep down in some hidden chamber of her stinky subconscious, she had a clue.  It’s why she kept being drawn to the beach whenever she had her free time show up.

The weather was perfect.  The sun was shining on Laguna and the waves were rolling in just high enough to allow kids to body surf.

Now, though, the waves were frozen, random spikes sticking up from the water.  Karen kicked off her running shoes (she’d forgotten to change into her flip-flops) and walked to the water.

Out of habit she glanced around, but of course there were only manikins lying on the beach—at least that’s what it always looked like.  She walked around a group of teenaged boys and glanced down at them.

Jeff?

She stopped and stared, but of course Jeff didn’t answer back, nor did he glance in her direction.  He’d never know she’d been at the beach that day.

Like every tenth-grade student at Central High School, she had a secret crush on Jeff Amsters.  He was the guy that everyone noticed.  He was tall and had perfect brown hair and a smile that seemed to target any girl nearby.  He was the quarterback of the football team and already had college scouts checking him out.

Karen inched closer.  She didn’t recognize the two guys he was sitting with, and she ignored them.  She couldn’t help moving closer and finally crouched onto her knees on the sand in front of him.

You’re beautiful, she whispered.  She felt guilty, like she was doing something wrong.  I am, she knew.  I shouldn’t be doing this.

But she moved even closer, so her eyes were only a couple of inches from his.  And his lips.  She wet her own lips and leaned over to kiss him.

She closed her eyes and imagined him kissing her.

After a few seconds she pulled back.

That was my first kiss, she said.  Thank you.

Her face turned red, and she stood up and walked away from the threesome.  As she walked to the water, she wished that some part of Jeff would remember, but she knew that was just a fantasy.

The water was cool on her toes as she felt sand squish through them.  The sun beat down on her, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Should I?

Karen had sometimes walked along the beach on hot days, knowing this was her own personal space and that it was impossible for anybody to ever see her, but she’d never had the courage before.

Fuck it, she said.

She turned her back to the manikins and pulled her blue I heart L.A. T-shirt over her head.  She did it as fast as she could so she wouldn’t have a chance to change her mind.  Next came her shorts.

As she stood watching the silent waves in front of her, she took a long breath and unhooked her bra.  She held it along with her other clothes as she stepped out of her panties.

Can’t believe I’m actually doing this.

Out in the water were dozens of swimmers.  She could see the ones close to her, but as the water got deeper, she only saw motionless heads rising above the surface.  Below the surface were bodies frozen in time but still alive.

Karen turned to face the hundreds more people lying on their beach towels.  She stared at Jeff, feeling fear but excitement at standing naked in front of him.  She almost pulled her arms up to cover her breasts, but no, she wanted this.  She felt a weird desire to show off, to let him and everybody else be near her body.  She wanted to exhibit herself and she wasn’t going to let the fear win over the excitement.

But she decided not to walk too close to Jeff.  Thirty feet away was plenty close enough.  The calling would come soon enough.  She always had lots of warning when she was going to go back to normal time, but even so, she imagined him blinking and looking at her with that big smile of his.  Or would he laugh?

She turned to look south along the shoreline and then back out to the water.  The sun felt so nice on her body.

Next time I’m bringing a towel to sunbathe with, she said.  She closed her eyes and looked up, feeling the heat on her cheeks.

You can borrow one of mine.

She froze, eyes still closed.

Can’t be.

Karen wanted it to be her imagination.  But another part of her—the lonely part that couldn’t share her secret with anybody—had always wished to find somebody else who walked through time.

I know you heard me.

It was a male voice.  She blinked her eyes open and saw him standing in front of her.

Ohmygod….

She pulled her clothes to her body, trying to cover her breasts and her groin at the same time.  You can’t watch me.

It’s okay.  I’ve been watching you the whole time you’ve been here.

He looked to be about her age, but she didn’t recognize him.

Turn the fuck around!

He laughed.  I don’t think so.  I’m enjoying the view way too much.

Her face colored again, and she turned her back to him.  She walked onto the sand and dressed as quickly as she could.  The heat she now felt was not caused by the sun.

Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetie.  You’ve got a great body.

Ohmygod, I can’t believe you watched me.  Who are you?

I’m Bobby Jersey.  Who are you?

Karen Richardson.

For a minute neither of them said anything.  Then she said, How long have you been able to slip through time?

Since I was a kid.  I dunno exactly how long.

Me too.  I think I was eight.  I thought I was the only one.

I thought so, too.  Guess we were both wrong.

Bobby was several inches taller than Karen.  He wasn’t built like Jeff, but he also wasn’t butt-ugly like some of the creeps she went to school with.

He wore only a dark blue bathing suit.

You live near here? she asked.

He smiled, mouth closed, like he was bored and humoring her.

Watch this, he said.

Karen no longer was blushing and actually felt curious about this stranger.

Bobby walked over to a middle-aged man standing nearby.  Rolls of fat cascaded over his suit, and his back was covered with splotches of black hair.  He had been throwing a beach ball with a woman (probably his wife, Karen guessed, though why a pretty, slim woman like that would pair up with that ugly old fart was beyond her).  He’d just tossed the ball and it hovered in midair, inches from his outstretched fingertips.  He looked like he was grunting from the trivial exertion; he lived in heart-attack territory, and there was always a chance this could be his

Reviews for Secrets - Outcast

[mclane_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the fifth in the JournalStone Press series known as Doubledown, in which two short novels are combined in one volume. The first novel, and by far the weaker, is Secrets by John R.Little in which two teenagers who have the ability to stop time and walk through a stopped world, doing whatever they wish. Unfortunately, the characters are shallow and underdeveloped, and same can be said about the plot.The second novel, Outcast by Mark Allan Gunnells, is better. Two teenagers (again) meet and develop strong feelings for one another. Unfortunately the girl is just discovering that she is a witch, and the boy is, in fact, a ghost! Throw in the boy's mother (another witch) and the theme of reincarnation, and the result is a fairly interesting tale.

[jenkince · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This review is for the book that contained the story entitled Secrets and the story entitled Outcast. I was intrigued by the premise of having two authors begin with the same opening and then seeing where each would take the story. Secrets, frankly, just wasn’t my kind of story. It involved displaying the worst behavior in its characters with little or no redeeming values. I do not expect or want a morality play where issues are black and white and good must always triumph over all. I actually enjoy dark and complex stories when they raise issues that I find interesting and thought-provoking. However, I failed to find anything in this story other than the illustration of a series of reprehensible actions by a couple of unlikable characters. I found Outcast to be more enjoyable. It was far from a perfect story, and it seemed more like an early attempt at what might eventually be a decent YA book. The characters and premise were intriguing, but most of the twists, while interesting, were telegraphed. There needed to be more depth and complexity in the writing, but I think there is a solid seed of a story here.

[pixiedark · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Secrets/ Outcasts is a Double Down book from Journalstone publishing. This book is told by two different authors: John R. Little and Mark Allan Gunnells. This book is about Karen Richardson and her life, from two different realities. Karen Richardson can occasionally stop time. She can move around while others are frozen.

[angelswing_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book has a fascinating and unusual plot where two people are able to transcend time when all the people around them stand silently still. The girl finds out she likes to snoop around people's houses when they are in suspended animation like this. The boy however is a certified psychopath and sadist. He gives me the creeps. it's a dual book with two stories based on the these characters. Suspenseful, mysterious, and eerie. I strongly recommend it. It's a great read!

[meradeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting read: not something I've ever really encountered before, but I enjoyed it for its uniqueness. The stories both incorporate a similar snippet, which the two authors use to create two worlds and two vastly different stories. Both were interesting and drew me in completely. I did find the second story to be more to my personal taste, and I really loved the ghost aspect to it, along with some twists and turns that were a bit obvious, but still fun. In all, this was a quick read, quite enjoyable, and definitely different! Worth checking out for sure :)

[hopback · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book comprises two separate, and essentially unrelated, stories. They start with a shared prologue, and names of the main characters are the same, but there the similarities end.“Secrets” involves the main character, Karen, enjoying a strange relationship with time whereby it freezes for intervals. She is still able to move but others are not. We follow her during these periods as she makes discoveries in this strange world and gets up to a certain amount of mischief. The plot then darkens as a second character joins her in her secret world. The thrust of this story deals with the two approaches the characters take to exploiting their gift, and the inevitable conflict between them. The author certainly kept me interested in this story and I was keen to learn more about the phenomenon and the possibilities and moral challenges of the world he created. “Outcast” was another truly inventive story. This one is more to do with witches and magic and the undead. It has a few unexpected twists and turns that kept up my interest and ensured I continued turning the pages. Overall the book was a very good read.

[jaelquinn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Secrets is so badly written I couldn't get through it. Gratuitous meanness. Time stopping, but why? Unsympathetic teenage characters. I was so uncomfortable I had to stop reading. Outcast is better written and has sympathetic characters. The two books have the same beginning, and it's sad, but the beginning is better writing than the rest of either book. Secrets gets one star, couldn't get through it. Outcast gets 3 stars. The average for the two is 2 stars.

[mary.moore · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like the idea of this book: two authors writing from the same prompt. Unfortunately, the quality of the resulting stories wasn’t consistent.In Secrets, a girl experiences periods where time freezes for everybody else but she is still able to move around. After a while she discovers that she is not the only person who can do this when she meets Bobby. The rest of the story is mostly about her fear of him, with an additional, unrelated storyline involving her father that appears only to have been included to link to the shared prompt.I am surprised that a number of reviewers preferred this story. It does have an interesting premise and a potentially good plot but it seems to me more like a first draft than a finished work, suffering both from superfluous detail in some parts that do not appear to serve any purpose as well as a lack of plot development in other parts. A lot of information is ‘dumped’ on the reader rather than providing the necessary clues that would allow us to work things out for ourselves, which is what I prefer. I also found it very irritating that too many times we are told things we already know.A number of chapters begin by stating how much time has passed since the previous chapter:‘One night when she was twenty-one’‘Four years passed’‘Two years passed’Not only does this make the story seem like a list of events, but we are left wondering how absolutely nothing of any consequence could possibly have happened during that time, particularly as the plot makes that unlikely (to explain why would involve spoilers).Whilst I know that we need to suspend disbelief to some extent when dealing with a storyline involving something like time freezing, some of the rest of the plot and even more of the characterisation seems to me quite implausible.To be fair to the author, a lot of the faults should have been dealt with during the editing stage. Even if it hadn’t addressed the lack of character development it would surely have picked up some of the inconsistencies in the plot, such as the sun setting while time is frozen.I almost didn’t manage to finish the book because of this story. However, I’m glad I did because the second story, Outcast, is much better. The characterisation is good and both of the main characters develop during the course of the story.The premise is equally good and the plot is well structured and free from the inconsistencies and style problems of the first story. The shared prompt also fits more smoothly into the storyline.In Outcast Karen discovers she is a witch. She is also a lonely and awkward student who meets the equally awkward and mysterious Bobby and they become friends. Karen harbours hopes that one day they could become more than that but things are not quite what they seem with Bobby (although his secret is easily guessed quite early on).This is actually a well written story, despite a couple of parts that seemed a little far fetched to me. The relationships are extremely well portrayed and, overall, it has far more depth than the first story. I would read other books by this author.My rating represents a rough average of the two stories.I received an Advance Review Copy of this book via the Library Thing Early Reviewer programme in exchange for my honest review. I do not know the author personally and have no connection with the publisher, nor have I been offered any reward (monetary or otherwise) in exchange for a positive review.

[therealjim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two books in one, same story but from two authors view point. That being said Secrets was the better of the two. Karen and Bobby can walk around in time while everyone is suspended in time. In this story there was more passion when Karen found who the love of life was, and when that was taken away from her. I was able to be more involved in this story than the other one. The second story Outcasts however, I found rather dull and lifeless. There was not very much passion or excitement in this version of the story. The only saving grace was you could feel Bobby's sense of loss of who he really is. Stick with Secrets it is the best one.

[ariatracker · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

“Secrets” / “Outcast” are two stories built on the premise of a common opening, two characters with the same names, Karen and Bobby, and a mystical power. The book “Secrets,” is more plot-driven than character-driven, is about two bored teens who can move around in a world frozen in time and invade other people’s privacy or commit crimes without the fear of being caught. Without causing any spoilers, even the revenge does not have a satisfying ending. “Outcast” uses the same characters but better utilizes the common opening. Karen, the main character, possesses a strong paranormal ability that others want to exploit. This story is more character-driven than ‘Secrets” and has a more satisfying storytelling appeal.

[saginawhorror · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in a single day. It was quite interesting that both novels had the same characters but each story was quite unique. I found secrets to be the more fun story. Highly recommended.

[prettytarantula · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book of two stories or noveletts. Each story is written by a different author. What I found interesting about this particular book, is that both stories are based off of the same prologue (which is also featured somewhere in their story) and in turn have the same two main characters, Karen and Bobby. The first story, Secrets, was my favorite of the two. It was an interesting and unique paranormal story that was hard to put down. It held my interest from start to finish. The author stated that he changed the ending from what he had originally intended it to be. I would have liked to read that ending. This story is 4.5 stars!The second story, Outcast, was also interesting and unique. The storyline was engaging and flowed nicely. This story I rated 3.5 stars.This is the second JournalStone DoubleDown book I have read and I hope to read more in the future. Thanks to LibraryThing for this free book I won through their Early Reviewers Giveaway.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting conceit. Each novella is based on the same starting page, then the authors take off on their own. I liked Gunnells version best, Little's was kind of depressing.

[helenbaston · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is one book with two novellas within. It's an interesting idea and starts quite promisingly with the two characters Bobby and Karen searching for a particular grave. However, I feel it doesn't quite live up to expectation. In the first book, Secrets, the characters have the ability to move around when time stops, it's a good idea but not ever so well thought out. Outcast is the second story and is much more entertaining and detailed. Altogether better planned and thought out. Not my favourite book of all time but worth a read.

[cathygeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two books in the same volume using some the same names for characters and some of the same words in the story led to two very different reads. “Secrets” reminded me of a John D Mac Donald book I read long ago…one that had time stopping for some characters and not for others. Time stopping was the ONLY thing that is held in common between the two stories, though, except for a bit of evil, perhaps. “Secrets” was intense. It made me think about what I would do if time stood still for everyone else except me and perhaps one other person – how would I use that time if it were mine to use for good or evil. I hope I would have utilized it differently than Karen or Bobby did in this story but, who knows? An interesting story and definitely worth reading. “Outcast” takes place on a college campus with Karen being on the fringes of things. Her roommate was once her best friend but is no longer. She is a poet, a loner, and would love to have a boyfriend. Wicca, earth religions, dark magick, ghosts, good versus evil, love, friendship and more are explored a bit in this story. I believe this story might appeal more to people in their late teens to mid-twenties. Both books were interesting and totally different one from the other. I believe that “Secrets” left me pondering longer than “Outcast” did and have a feeling that “Secrets” might appeal to a broader audience than “Outcast” might.3.5 stars: 4 for Secrets and 3 for Outcast

[cfraser_38 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the concept of two stories deriving from one scene - interesting how two authors can go in completely different directions. I preferred the direction the first author took but think they let the concept down - not a very enjoyable story. Did not really warm to any of the characters. The second story was average

[jimleask · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One book with two novellas within. Both are based around one scene with characters Karen and Bobby looking for a particular grave.The first book Secrets, gives the characters Bobby and Karen the ability to move around when time randomly stops. I found the idea interesting but flawed e.g.. you could move objects but not fire a gun. We are supposed to be rooting for Karen but I found her a bit difficult to.like. However a good story which fitted around the given scene.The second book Outcast, I found the character Karen far more engaging and likeable. Ithought the characters developed as the story progressed. However, I did not think the story fitted easily alongside the given scene. I would recommend this novella to anyone interested in witchcraft or the fantasy genre.

[mexico24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank you Librarything for introducing me to this series had never heard of this series- it was sort of buy one story get one free.The first was by JR Little- Secrets different and compelling – the main character Karen can stop time (would that be a great party trick) then meets a guy called Bobby who can do likewise – but this is more sinister. Great storyline.The second Outcast – same characters but I empathized this time and there was a hint of romance in there and then end was a bit of a tear jerker.These are stories of unusual powers.I will now start at the beginning of the series – for me great holiday read material.

[doseofbella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two Book ComboCopy Courtesy of: Librarything Early ReadersSecretsBy: John R. LittlePublisher: Journal Stone 2014OutcastBy: Mark Allen GunnellsPublisher Journal Stone 2014Total Pages 228Reviewed by: tk Karen Robinson and Bobby Jersey are blessed with special gifts. Time can actually stand still allowing this two teens to observe life, and interact with it while unknown to others around them in their frozen states. At times, they are tempted to be helpful, and at other times they are defiantly up to no good. Secrets and Outcast are the same story with variations in the tale.Impressions made on me while reading Secrets involved anger and frustration of the characters and their gift. Still a good story, and makes for an interesting read.Outcast appealed to me more though. I enjoyed the carefree tale much better. The gifts of the teens Karen and Bobby were used in a different manner. The plot was expanded to bring other interesting characters, to move the story along to a detailed conclusive ending.A great story of born gifts, magick and mysticism. Where bewitching chants can cause life or death within moments. An exhilarating read, guarantee to entertain.Recommended 4/5

[josephlyoung · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two books written to share the same characters with different characteristics but, still very involving stories with different endings. I read both story sequences in one long sittings. I found the characters and their unique abilities very sympathetic and enjoyed both stories by different authors. I was interested that both authors treated the special abilities differently and how they affected the story and the pathos of the principle characters. I recommend this book set an d imagine any reader who had an interest in special psychic abilities would enjoy these stories. The twists that led to the conclusions were an interesting take on how the abilities could be used to correct life situations that promote bullies. Good read!

[tbretc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

For me, most of what gets me to like a book is the character development. Unfortunately, these two books utilize the same characters but with completely different story lines... and with both stories, the characters are just not that likable. I think the first story has some redeeming qualities, such as the ability to stop time and what people are doing when they think no one is looking, but that's really where the good parts end. I thought the book was highly unrealistic and unnecessarily vulgar. I also didn't like the ending. The second was also just mediocre. They're short stories, so I got through these stories very quickly, but to be honest these aren't something I'd read again.

[carod_51 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a book from the Double Down series: two short novels sharing a theme. In these two stories each writer used the same scene (two teens searching for a grave in a cemetery) as the springboard for their story. In Secrets by John Little, Karen, a young teen, can slip out of time. While the world freezes around her, she is free to move around and explore the world around her. She meets Bobby Jersey, a boy who can also slip through time. The novel focuses on how they choose to use the power they have to effect others without their knowledge. In Outcast by Mark Allan Gunnell,, Karen is a college student. She is a loner and an outsider who has the power of telekinesis. She finds a mentor in a witch who helps her learn to control her powers. And she meets Bobby Jersey who seems to be another lonely soul like her. I found I liked the second novel more than the first. In Secrets none of the characters were very likable and they all seemed to make poor and selfish choices. The novel also skipped forward rapidly through time so that there was no natural evolution of Karen's character. The premise was interesting, and thought provoking. What would you do if time froze around you and you could move freely around while everyone else was unaware? In the case of the characters in this novel, mostly selfish and evil acts.In Outcast Karen is a more sympathetic character. She also faces an ethical dilemma about the use of her powers. She has to choose who to trust and what is wrong or right. She makes some poor choices, but learns and grows in the novel. The setting of a small college town is interesting and well described. While building two novels around the same scene had potential, only the second of the two is a novel I would recommend.

[pratchettfan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Secrets and Outcast are two novellas which are built around the same scene. Two teenagers, Karen and Bobby, are looking for a special tombstone.In Secrets they both face a special condition. Sometimes time suddenly stops for everyone else and they can freely explore their surroundings without fearing of getting caught. The ideal situation to discover a couple of secrets.In Outcast Karen is gifted with special talents. With the help of the universities librarian she manages to harness these powers and slowly become a practitioner of magick. One day Karen meets Bobby and would like to get to know him better, but he is very elusive and has a problem that he hopes Karen to fix.I found it fascinating how two such different stories could stem from the same idea. While I thought that Secrets could have used a better editor (there are a couple of odd moments here and there), I enjoyed both stories.

[jenw1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I received this as an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.To be completely honest, the only reason I finished this book is because I had agreed to write a review and I did not feel like I could fulfill that without reading the entire book. This book is written in two books with the same main character, but all the other characters are different (even the male lead who has the same name in both books). The situations are different and their families are different, essentially the main character's name is the only thing that didn't change.The first story is just dark and depressing. It was full of unnecessary profanity and explicitness. It was like a case study in all possible deviancy of the human race. Both the main characters were murderers, one for fun and one out of mercy, but still just twisted. I did not enjoy wallowing in the deviance and depressing aspects of humanity.The second book was better, but still not worth my time. It was marginally better (hence the 2 star rating instead of just 1 star). At least there were some redeeming qualities to the character this time. There was still gratuitous profanity, but at least I didn't have to read through deviance, just selfishness. I liked the idea of reading two books in one, thinking it would go through two possible stories depending on the different choices of the character. I really wanted to like this book, but it was just depressing and terrible. There are essentially no redeeming qualities of this book. I would not recommend it. Sorry.

[journalstone-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Double Down series continues with two stories that explore the very different realities of Karen Richard’s life. The common prologue springboards two talented authors into alternate realities – two stories, two authors, one book.In John R. Little’s Secrets, Karen Richardson can occasionally stop time. She is free to move around while others are frozen in time. She finds the hidden truths of those around her, including her new friend, Bobby Jersey, who may not be all that he seems. At first it seemed fun, powerful, exhilarating, but in the end Karen’s power may cost her everything she’s ever cared about.In Mark Allan Gunnells’ Outcast, Karen Richardson is a college freshman dealing with a non-existent social life, a difficult roommate…and the power of telekinesis. As her powers grow, Karen begins to lose control. Her new friend Bobby Jersey offers his assistance. But is he somebody that Karen can trust, or will her abilities destroy everything and everyone she knows and loves.