Introducing Lucky 13: A Thrilling New Novel

Wade thought being twelve was rough, then he became Lucky 13…

Wade’s world of bullies, deadbeat parents, and trouble with the law undergoes a magical transformation as he discovers that there are two sides to every mystical coin. After his father returns home, Wade is reluctantly dragged back into a world of deception and theft.

However, when Wade unearths a magical coin, his bleak life is abruptly flipped upside down. Plunged into an epic battle of good versus evil, and loyalty versus betrayal, he is left with no other choice but to flee from those he once trusted. Wade finds himself thrust into a world filled with magic and danger alongside his friend Bianca. As they navigate this enchanted realm, luck and misfortune intertwine to reshape their friendship, teaching Wade that his friends are truly his greatest strength. The battle for the Rainbow Cups begins…

Discovering "Lucky 13": A Glimpse Behind the Magic

Hello, fellow readers! I'm excited to share a bit about the inspiration behind "Lucky 13" and the tales that influenced its creation.

The Spark: The idea sparked from my love of stories about luck. When I stumbled upon the stories of Rainbow Cups I knew I had to write about them.

Influences: Marvel's Domino, the Alphas episode "Cause & Effect," and classic con stories like "The Sting" played roles in shaping the story's clever twists. The Supernatural episode "Bad Day at Black Rock" even gets a nod in the book. I've always been drawn to magic, puzzles, and mysteries, and you'll find a bit of that in "Lucky 13” as well.

Literary Friends: Inspiration also flowed from books like "Artemis Fowl," the Shadowmagic series, and the magical world of Harry Potter. They set the stage for the adventures within the Rainbow Cups series.

What's Next: This is just the start. "Lucky 13" is an exploration of luck, friendship, and the secrets hidden within Rainbow Cups. Dive into the first chapter below and join me for more updates and character introductions.

Your company on this journey means the world. Here's to the magic within "Lucky 13" capturing your heart.

Warmly,

Aric DeLaney
#Lucky13Book #BookInspiration #RainbowCupSeries

Chapter 1 Preview

Wade peered around the corner of his townhouse into the grassy field beyond. The cold November air sent a shiver down his spine. “Man, I hate this” he grumbled to the morning. Wade was on his way to school, and it wasn’t that he hated the school itself. He enjoyed learning and seeing the few friends he had. The fact that it got him out of the house, where he was ignored, was enough of a benefit. No, it wasn’t school that he dreaded; it was the trek to school that he loathed.

He started running through the field as he reflected upon his situation. Plumes of breath trailed behind him like clouds from the smokestack of a racing train. His shaggy, rusty brown hair bounced up and down with each stride. He hated running through this field every day. It was dangerous, and he never knew what was going to happen to him until it was too late. His heart pounded as he crunched his way through the frozen dew-covered grass.

He was halfway through the field now. It wouldn’t be long until he was safe on the other side. All he had to do after that was cut through a few more yards and cross a street. Then he would be at school, safe and sound. Suddenly, he heard the grass around him echoing back each crunching sound he made as he ran. CRUNCH. Crunch. CRUNCH. Crunch. The echoing crunches seemed to be getting louder. Soon they were as loud as his own. Wade’s heart skipped a beat. He could see safety ahead. He was only seconds away from… “Oof!”

Wade felt a strong push from behind causing him to stumble and shoot through the air. Soon enough, the grass shattered beneath him, only this time it wasn’t his feet breaking the crystallized grass, but his body, hands, and face. The frozen shards of grass were sharp little daggers, slicing and stabbing into his flesh. He briefly registered the smell of the cold, frozen ground. He knew something bad was coming next, but it was no use; he was too slow. The shock of being shoved forward and slamming into the ground had delayed his reaction time. The kick to his side was hard, but not as hard as it should have been. His attacker was thankfully winded from the chase, which only seemed to anger the brute.

“Did you think…” Gasp. “…you could outrun me?” The question was punctuated with a kick to his thigh. “Well?” Gasp. “Did you?” Another kick.

“No.” Wade moaned.

“Then why…” Gasp. “…did you make me chase you down? Huh?” Wade never looked up. After the first kick he instinctively curled up to protect himself. He didn’t have to look up to know who was panting above him. He didn’t want to look at the attacker. Seeing them only made the experience worse.

“I’m just trying to get to school.”

“You were running away from me.” Gasp. “Trying to go through MY field when I told you not to.” A kick hit Wade’s hand and wrist.

“Ow! I’m sorry! It’s the only route I know.”

“I don’t care how stupid you are. I don’t want to see you go through my field again. You hear me, you little runt?” A hard shove against Wade’s backpack rolled him to his other side.

Wade was then kicked hard in his butt. The pain, like a shock of electricity, went straight up his spine, causing Wade's body to go as rigid as a board. He rolled back and forth holding his tailbone in pain.

“Now, you lay there and count to 100 before you even think about getting up. If I see you get up before you reach 100, I’m gonna make you pay.” The threat was then reinforced with a kick to the gut which knocked the air out of him. Wade instantly rolled over to face the other direction, away from his attacker. He heard his assailant's high-pitched laugh grow ever distant with each passing step. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. Crunch. Crunch.

Wade didn’t want to cry. He didn’t want to look like he was a wimp, a baby, but he couldn’t choke back the tears. The anger, humiliation, and pain of what had just happened and knowing that it wouldn’t be the last time got to him. He started to cry quietly to himself. It was a cry of frustration more than anything else. Frustration that he couldn’t do anything about what had just happened. Thankfully it didn’t last long.

Wade looked up at his retreating adversary. Through his tear-blurred vision, he saw the pink princess backpack and long ponytail disappear behind the fence before him. Beat up by a girl. I hate it! But what am I supposed to do, hit Dedra back? I can't. And even if he could, he wasn’t sure if he could take her anyway. Wade was the shortest kid in his seventh-grade class, while she was one of the largest in eighth.

Wade refused to become a tattletale. It was hard enough being the new kid at school without being known as a sissy as well. He didn’t want word to spread that he was being beat up by a girl.

Wade never counted. He pushed himself up off the ground. “100,” he said defiantly brushing the cold, wet grass off his clothes. When he brushed off his left arm Wade cringed as he passed over the spot on his hand where she had kicked him. He shook it off and resumed his trek to school, trying to come up with a plan for tomorrow’s journey. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

When Wade walked into the cafeteria, he looked around at the students that made up his school and sighed. He never felt so alone in his life. He was surrounded by strangers. He missed his old school. If it wasn't for the re-division of school districts he would still be there. Instead, he was here, Coronado Heights Middle School.

After he got his food, he slowly walked across the cafeteria towards a corner table. Being an outcast meant it was the only choice left. He tried to keep his head down to not bring any attention to himself but couldn’t help stealing glances at the other tables as he passed.

He saw the yuppie, popular kids in their expensive clothing and pristine hair styles and then looked down at his cheap garage sale shoes and clearance rack t-shirt and hoodie. He scoffed. He didn't really care about how nice his clothes were. He looked at the athletes that sat at another table and shook his head. He didn't stand a chance of being one of them. He was too short and puny. He glanced away from the next table and sped up his pace. He saw his tormentor from this morning and his mood immediately soured at thought of his humiliation being the subject of their lunch time jokes.

He never had issues with bullies before Dedra moved into the neighborhood. He didn't know much about her besides the fact her dad owned Wade’s townhomes and the open lot that she had caught Wade in this morning. Facts that she never missed a chance to remind him of. He felt his cheeks redden as he relived the humiliation in his head again. He didn't pay attention to the rest of the tables he passed. They were just extras in the horrible movie he called his “Unfortunate Life.”

Wade dropped his tray down on the table and sat down to eat without a word. The table he sat at was full of dorks, nerds, or whatever other name was being thrown around. He sat down next to Bianca, the weird girl, who had previously been home-schooled. Across from Wade sat Steven, a self-elected outcast who got into trouble a lot. There were a few others; but Wade mainly just talked with Bianca and Steven who were at least interesting if not normal.

Bianca’s style reminded Steven of hippies and he took every chance he had to remind her of it. Today she wore her long, bright purple and blue hair in loose pigtails. She had her large shoulder bag sitting next to her. Wade never saw her go anywhere without that monstrosity of a purse and her patchwork skirts.

Steven was currently playing some game on his phone and completely ignoring the others at the table. He didn't seem to like anybody except Wade. He got into a lot of fights at school but rarely lost. As always, he was wearing his father’s old army jacket (even though it was slightly too big for him) and to compliment it, a pair of khaki cargo pants. Steven's black hair was a tousled mess, and he wore a shirt with something sarcastic or derogatory written on it.

Wade was glad Steven was busy playing on his phone. He usually enjoyed listening to him talk about his father's crazy military stories, but not after the morning he had. Wade leaned his head on his hand as he slowly ate his food.

“Hey, do you want to come over after school today? I want you to check out this new game I got.” Steven asked. Wade took a moment to register that somebody had been talking to him and just responded with a “huh?”

“I picked up Intergalactic Ground Pounders. You need to check it out; the laser frag grenade is freaking awesome! It like does this high-pitched whine like vvveeeuuuWHOOOOOMPHHH!” Steven made hand gestures to simulate an explosion. “When you kill an alien with the grenade his guts fly into the screen after they explode. Then they like, drip down the screen. It's awesome. I’m telling you man; you have to come over.” Steven said.

“Oh, yeah sure. I'd like to blow up some aliens after this crappy day. Do any of them have pigtails and princess backpacks?” Wade mumbled. Steven cocked his head in confusion at the comment. Wade thought the video game sounded awesome; he was just in a funk.

“If only, right? Heck, maybe some look like Mr. Cooper. I am so sick of all his homework. I mean what's the point?”

“Not like you do the homework anyway.” Bianca chimed in from nowhere.

“Shut it tree hugger. That's not the point.” Steven said. Then he started to go off on how pointless homework is and that the teachers didn’t even look at it half the time anyway. Bianca meanwhile argued that there was still a reason for homework. Wade's mind wandered away from the two arguing as he fantasized about a different life.