Sneak Peek 4 of Before the Guide, Book 1 of the User-Friendly Guide to Ghosts Series by Mia Smantz
- Mia Smantz
- Apr 21
- 6 min read
#userfriendlyguidetoghosts #miasmantz #willawalker #alpha #reverseharem #reverseharemseries #beforetheguide #ghosts #reverseharemghosts
Hello all!
Welcome to the sneak peeks countdown for Before the Guide, Book 1 of the User-Friendly Guide to Ghosts series, by Mia Smantz. With the first book of the new series, Before the Guide, releasing on April 22nd, I'll be posting some snippets from the story to whet your whistles :)
Some housekeeping notes before we get to the good stuff... my first series, The Cardinal Series is all completed and available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited for free. It's also available for purchase. If you're interested in purchasing a hardcopy set of the first two books, The Cardinal Bird and Cardinal Caged, you can buy the first volume here. This volume is also available in the Kindle Unlimited store if you want to purchase or add to your ten-book Unlimited list to help free up a slot for another great book. I know I always have a hard time trying to cull my book limit. Get the Kindle version here. I've also bundled the second volume of the series to include Cardinal of Hope and The Cardinal Sin. That volume is available here for the Kindle version and the hardcopy version. The third and final volume with Cardinal Rose and The Red Cardinal are also online.
Also the second, completed series, The Stillwind Series is all completed and available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited for free. It's also available for purchase. If you're interested in purchasing them the links are here:
And, if you've already read the books through Kindle Unlimited and are looking to reread, consider downloading the 6-book anthology. You can free up some space in your Kindle Library and also support me, since authors only get paid the first time you read a book on your account. The 6-book link is here with some awesome new artwork.
Also--almost there, I promise--the second book of the User Friendly Guide to Ghosts, Tentatively Prewritten, is available for preorder. Order your copy today!
And now, on to the sneak peek of the new series.
Before the Guide, Book 1
SNEAK PEEK
The afternoon passed similarly to the morning until our convoy hit a split and saw that our way was blocked by the conservation officers.
“What’s going on, Rob?” John asked over the CB.
Dad replied, “I’m not sure. Hang on a sec. I’ll ask.”
One of the officers approached his door, a younger one named Bill. He glanced in the direction of the trail we were supposed to take in response to Dad’s question and shook his head in the negative. Instead, he pointed at the fork to the right.
A dread of unease twisted inside me as I eyed the numbered trail sign that bore a harshly angled line, like the sharp-toothed points of a mountain. Beneath, in all caps, it read, “EXTREME.”
Compared to the loose and much less intimidating gentle, wavy line on the trail we were supposed to take, I’d say my sudden bout of nerves was warranted.
The young officer walked away, back to the bright blue side by side where his partner sat, talking on a radio.
Dad glanced up and caught my eyes in his rearview mirror.
“What’s the verdict, Rob?” John prompted.
Dad held my gaze a moment more before he reached for his walkie-talkie to reply. “Okay, gentlemen and scoundrels, they have two large, downed trees right across the trail due to last week’s big storm. Normally, we’d be able to drive around them, but it’s in an area where the trail follows the bottom of a valley with steep inclines on either side.”
“So what are we going to do?”
Though he avoided my gaze again, it felt as if he was speaking on a megaphone directly at me when he answered, “I know it might be a little difficult since we’re such a large group, but we’ll slowly get turned around to backtrack a bit. There’s another turnoff we can take about four hundred feet back. Find a flat spot between trees where you can reverse your vehicle off the path, and I’ll get turned around to take point again.”
“Alright, chief. You’re the expert around here.”
Before I realized what I was doing, I cleared my throat to talk. My voice came out hoarse since I had avoided speaking much. “No, Dad. Don’t.”
Dad frowned at me in his mirror. “This matter is closed, young lady.”
My cheeks burned, but if ever there was a way to get me to double down and dig my heels in, it was that. “I’m not saying that we actually do the whole thing, but there are only three hills before Eight meets up with Twenty-Seven. By the time everyone gets backed up and turned around, we could have already made it through to the easier trail.”
Silence reigned over the radio once I’d finished making my case, and I realized too late that it would have been better just to keep my mouth shut.
Dad’s door popped open, and he climbed out. A deep frown marred his expression, and he waved off someone behind me, as if telling them to stand down.
I didn’t turn to check who it was because I was too busy determining which side of annoyed Dad fell on—angry or bemused.
He stood over me. “Is your mic off?”
Clicking it off, I nodded, finally figuring out how to hold my tongue.
“Good. Willa, I’m not risking it. Your front brakes are out. It’s too dangerous.”
“We went up a couple of hills like this yesterday,” I argued.
“Yeah, before we found out about your brakes. This isn’t up for discussion. Not only would your mom skin me alive, but you could be seriously hurt.”
My shoulders hunched in. “Did I do that badly yesterday?”
Dad’s expression softened, although it briefly grew more annoyed when he glanced over my helmet once more. “I said I got it. Stay in your Jeep, son.”
My eyes widened, wondering why Hunter had been about to exit his Jeep.
Dad turned back to me, unaware of my inner turmoil. “No, this isn’t about your driving skills. We’ve all been saying how well you’ve been doing.”
“Yeah, for a girl,” I muttered, recalling the sexist comment.
“Not just for a girl.”
I shrugged and averted my gaze.
“Willa, look at me.” When I did, he added, “You’re doing great. I wouldn’t lie.”
Throat tight and eyes burning, I nodded, feeling like a bobble head with the heavy helmet on. “Yep.”
Dad’s head tilted to the side before he sighed. “Okay, if you want to do this, fine, but I’m spotting you at the top of every hill, even if the rest of these guys have to wait while I climb up there to wave you on.”
My nerves slammed back into me with a vengeance, overpowering my momentary triumph. “Sure.”
“And if I go over and find something I don’t like—I don’t care what it is, the ruts are too washed out, there’s a rock on one side of the trail, or a root sticking out too far, anything at all—you don’t argue. I’ll drive the four-wheeler over that part.”
“Of course.”
“And last but not least, your mother never, ever hears about this.”
I snorted. “Like I’d go through all this trouble of being careful just to commit suicide when we get home.”
A grin cracked over Dad’s face. “Okay. Take your time. You’ve got this, and if you don’t, I’m there.”
I grinned, feeling both nervous and relieved.
Dad climbed back in and grabbed the CB. “Alright, I’m making an adjustment to our previously mapped route. We’re going right, lady and gentlemen, and it has a couple of doozies, so strap in.”
No one blinked an eye at the change of plans, or if they did, they didn’t share it over the radio.
My pulse jumped as we turned off onto Trail Twenty-Seven.
END EXCERPT
I hope you enjoyed it!!
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