#SampleSunday Are they really vampires?

Since this is October, Halloween month, I decided to post a short sample of my children's book. Night Camp is for middle grade readers ages 9 to 12. 


About the book: A spooky graveyard. A creepy basement. A pair of coffins. Thirteen-year-old Shane Andrews hates summer camp. When his parents allow him to choose, Shane decides to pick the worst camp he can find. Night Camp must be terrible. For one thing, activities take place at night and campers sleep during the day. That can’t be good, Shane reasons. His parents will realize Night Camp is even worse than they thought and they’ll come back to get him. Then Shane’s plans for summer freedom fall apart. His cousin Brad, a boy with a huge collection of tabloid magazines, convinces Shane that two of the camp counselors are vampires. Shane enlists the help of Brad and a girl camper named Nicole. The three set out to save themselves and the other campers. Then Shane uncovers the secret of Night Camp… 

The setup: The campers are having a midnight picnic. Shane still doesn't believe the counselors are vampires. But Brad won't let up trying to convince him. Since the cousins ate at separate tables during breakfast, this is their first opportunity to compare notes. 

I bent my head closer to Brad's and, remembering to keep my voice down, described breakfast. "Just one thing, Brad. If they’re real vampires, how come Trevor and Colin ate tomatoes and drank tomato juice?"

                Brad snorted. "What do you expect? You figure they should call for a couple of volunteers?”

                I felt my face turn warm. "I didn't mean that. I meant, how can they survive on tomato juice?"

                "So who says it's tomatoes? And is it really tomato juice?" Brad's face seemed ten shades paler in the moonlight.

                My throat closed up as though someone squeezed it and I choked on my drink. Lemonade boiled up and squirted out of my nose and my mouth at the same time. Half the campers turned around to stare. I felt like crawling away when I saw that one of the curious campers was Nicole.

                "What did you have to say that for?" I asked when I finally managed to stop doing my lemonade fountain imitation. "And if you're looking for a volunteer to sneak some of their tomato juice for a taste test, don't count on me!" 

Night Camp