Here are just a few riding and race scenes from book 1,

Mud, Blood and Motocross:

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On the trails…

     Nick jump-started his bike and entered the trail that led to Tweety’s house. He sped along at a nice clip and jumped every bump and tree root.

Riding always helped Nick think more clearly. Even a trail like this one, which he had ridden a hundred times, took physical exertion and concentration. The effort always worked to clear his head. The worry and the nausea, which had weighed on Nick since Kat’s first scream yesterday afternoon, evaporated. All he could feel was the power and speed of the bike and the twists and turns in the trail.

One part of the trail was so narrow that the first time he and Tweety rode it, Nick had wondered if his handle bars would even fit through the rows of trees. He shifted down into first gear. Then he picked his way through by pulling in the clutch, letting it out, easing on the throttle.

Little by little, he made it through the trail. He tried to keep his feet up on the pegs, but a few times he lost his balance and had to put a foot down to steady the bike. Then the woods opened up onto a dirt logging road, and Nick took off at full speed.

Nick accelerated and shifted up through the gears. He had the throttle pinned all the way – the bike was full whack. The speed felt so good. The wind was blowing through his shirt. The sky was clear blue above him, the fresh smell of cedars rushed into his nose, and Nick wished the road and the ride would go on forever.

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On the track…

   On the straightaway he pinned the throttle, and he knew he was pulling ahead. Nick looked back over his shoulder to see what kind of lead he had.

     Five feet!

Nick turned his eyes back to the track and realized too late he was coming into turn seven way too hot. He couldn’t hold his line. He threw down the handlebars to make the turn.

Nick knew it was all over even before he saw Finn flash by him on the inside. Nick’s back tire bogged in the rut. He yanked his handlebars and twisted the throttle. The back tire dug into the track, sending a rooster tail of dirt spraying up and out behind him. He accelerated. He tore out of the turn and hit the stutters.

He accelerated more, not letting the front of his bike dip into the ditches in between the mounds. He gained speed through turn eight and turn nine, but Finn had already pulled seconds ahead. On the final stretch of jumps Tweety was only a tire length behind him.

Once Finn had pulled ahead, it opened a hole for Tweety. Tweety managed to pull even with Nick coming out of turn ten. Just as Nick tried to make his move, Tweety passed him on the inside of the final turn.

 

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In danger…

     There were houses to the left. Backyards with aboveground pools backed up against the Interstate. Nick pulled ahead of Finn and Tweety and then veered off the shoulder into one of the yards.

Nick gave a quick glance back and Tweety and Finn were right behind him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the MV, the silver GS, and the orange Hyabusa follow them into the grass. Nick went right around the house and the street bikes went left.

Nick sped ahead, dodging a swing set in the side yard.

 Oh, no!

He braked and threw down his handlebars to the left as hard as he could to avoid crashing into the white picket fence blocking his way. He yanked his handlebars the other way and made a quick right through the lattice-covered arbor leading to the street. Tweety and Finn followed his path.

Nick accelerated down the residential street and checked over his shoulder in time to see an orange blur as the Hyabusa crashed through the other side of the white picket fence. The MV and the GS plowed through the wreckage and came screaming after them.

Nick had no idea where he was. There were a bunch of little developments close to the highway, but Nick had no idea where they ended. They didn’t have a chance of losing these bigger bikes unless they could find their way to the woods and some dirt trails.

 

 

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Mud, Blood and Motocross is full of action at breakneck speed, but you don’t need to be a fan of extreme sports to be carried away by this exhilarating ride.

Mud, Blood and Motocross is an action adventure mystery series