Today I get to feature a very special book on my blog, written by an author I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and bringing to my school – Knights and Bikes by Gabrielle Kent. Knights and Bikes is published by Knights Of, who are doing amazing work to offer diverse opportunities for writers and illustrators. I was so very excited when I heard all about Knights Of, so to be given this opportunity to celebrate the amazing work they’ve been doing, and will continue to do, is pretty special!

Today’s blog post is part of the tour for Knights and Bikes and I get to give you all a sneak peek at the book with an extract from the beginning of the book!

Chapter One

Welcome to Penfurzy

The wind howled around the cabin like a rabid beast as the rain crashed against the windows. The occupants huddled together in terror as a shadowy figure loomed at the window, moonlight glinting off the blade in it gnarled hand…

‘HONNNK!’

Demelza’s torch and the comic she was reading were torn from her hands as her pet goose flapped his wings furiously, causing their blanket tent to collapse around them on the bed.

‘What is it, Captain Honkers?’ whispered Demelza, grabbing the goose and hugging him so close that his feathery cheek was squished up against her pale freckled face.

‘Are we in danger?’

She popped her head up from the crumpled pile of blankets and peered around the little caravan where they lived. Outside, the wind howled around the caravan like a rabid beast as the rain crashed against the windows. Demelza let out a little squeak and dived back under the blankets as the shadow slithered towards the door. ‘Shh, Honkers!’ she hissed, shining her torch at the goose and clamping his beak shut between her thumb and forefinger before he could honk again. She peeked out from under the blanket. Whatever was out there had reached the door.

The handle rattled.

Demelza breathed a small sigh as she remembered locking the door before going to bed. Her relief was short-lived as a metallic scratching sound came from the lock.

‘It’s trying to break in!’ she squeaked at Captain Honkers.

The goose flapped his wings angrily, bursting to honk.

The lock clicked again.

Demelza took a deep breath. ‘If we’re going to be eaten by a carnivorous beast with three mouths and … tentacles for arms, then we’re going to go down fighting. Aren’t we, Honkers?’

She snatched up a blanket, grabbed her foam sword from under her wooden bed and hid behind the door. Holding up two corners of the blanket, Demelza peered over the top and watched as the door finally creaked open.

The monster slipped inside.

‘Yaaaaargh!’ screamed Demelza, throwing the blanket up and over the beast.

‘Honnnk!’ squawked Captain Honkers, pecking furiously at the trashing creature under the blanket.

Demelza began to whack at what she thought was its head. ‘Die, creature of the night!’ she yelled as the foam sword flailed. ‘Begone! Back to the pit from whence you come!’

‘Mkay! Kay! Ry smurunder,’ burbled the creature.

Demelza stopped whacking. ‘Did you hear that Honkers?’ she said, wide-eyed. ‘It’s trying to communicate.’ She pointed her torch and the struggling blanket and prodded it with her sword. ‘What did you say, foul beast?’

The creature wriggled away from her and struggled to its feet before flinging off the blanket and putting its hands up in the air. A large duffel bag containing something big and rectangular fell to the floor.

‘I said, OK, I surrender!’ said the demon, which Demelza had to admit was starting to look much less like hell-spawn, and more like a girl not much older than her.

She had brown skin and punky black hair. Her leather gloves were fingerless and she was wearing slouchy leather ankle boots and not one but TWO earrings in one ear. She was the coolest-looking burglar Demelza had ever seen. She was also the first burglar Demelza had ever seen.

Knights and Bikes by Gabrielle Kent is published in paperback 2^nd August by Knights Of.

Let me know your thoughts on this extract and what you think will happen next! I’m very excited to read this as a copy landed on my doorstep this weekend!

Massive thanks to Sian, Gabrielle and Knights Of for inviting me on the blog tour!

S x