Book 1 (Nemesis) is available now. (On Amazon HERE.)

Book 2 (Rebel) is available now! (On Amazon HERE.)

Book 3 (Misfit) is available to preorder. (On Amazon HERE.)

While you’re waiting for Book 3 (Misfit) to release, check out the Superhero Wives Series! http://www.joynellschultz.com/superherowives

Here’s the blurb for Nemesis: A Girl’s Guide to Supervillainy (Book 1):

Emily Tate never planned on becoming a supervillain.

One minute, she’s grieving her sister, the next, she’s plotting revenge with a team of superpowered women she met in a wine bar. Totally normal Tuesday night, right?

The Wonderful Wons – the city’s so-called “heroes” – destroyed everything Emily held dear. They saved millions by redirecting a missile, but forgot to check for casualties when it hit a chemical plant. Emily’s sister. Her friends’ loved ones. Forty-two people who trusted heroes to protect them. Gone.

Now, armed with her new ability to float dramatically (essential for villain entrances) and a leather costume that makes her feel like a total badass, Emily’s assembling the Ladies in Leather. Together with storm-summoning Hannah, fire-wielding Madison, mind-reading Nessa, and telekinetic Jasmine, they’ll make the Wons pay.

Their first mission? Break Emily’s supervillain ex-husband out of maximum security prison. The same gorgeous, infuriating man she helped put there. The same one whose dark secrets shattered her world – and whose expertise they desperately need.

Step two? Make the so-called heroes face real consequences for once.

Step three? Try not to get distracted by Elijah’s annoyingly handsome green eyes or the way her heart still skips when he calls her “darling.”

Step four? Figure out if you can trust someone you once loved enough to destroy.

Between Hannah’s accidental tornadoes, Madison’s tendency to set things on fire when flustered, and the undeniable chemistry crackling between Emily and her dangerous ex, their plan for justice might just become a recipe for disaster.

But hey, if they accidentally level the city while getting revenge? No plan is perfect, right?

Sometimes being bad feels so good.

Get ready to cheer for the baddies – and fall in love with the Ladies in Leather.

This series contains five stories.

• Nemesis (Emily aka Dark Sky)
• Rebel (Madison aka Scorch)
• Misfit (Hannah aka Storm Singer)
• Mayhem (Natalie aka Telepathic Titan)
• Chaos (Jasmine aka Mind Mistress)

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Enjoy a sneak peek of Book 1: Nemesis

Chapter 1

Prologue: Five Easy Steps to Becoming the Villain

“What if we become villains?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, quiet but dangerous. My wine glass trembled in my grip, the stem slick against my palm.

Silence.

My four friends sat frozen around our usual corner booth at Wine a Little, Laugh a Lot. The vintage Merlot bottles lining the exposed brick walls caught the twinkling fairy lights overhead, making their stunned faces flicker between grief and something… darker.

Hannah’s knuckles turned white around her glass, her dark brown waves whipping across her face as a sharp gust of wind rattled the window. Her amber eyes burned with intensity as she leaned in. “Emily,” she whispered, voice firm and unwavering, “you can’t be suggesting…”

“Why not?” The words tasted bitter. “We tried it their way. Filed complaints. Went to the press. Asked for investigations.” My feet left the ground slightly as my anger built. “And what did the ‘Wonderful’ Wons do? They gave a press conference about ‘necessary sacrifices’ and unveiled a statue of themselves.”

Madison, usually full of valley-girl giggles, pressed her manicured fingertips into the wooden table. The scent of charred wood filled the air as tiny burn marks formed under her touch. “O. M. G. We literally can’t just—I mean, we’re not—” She swallowed hard. “We’re supposed to be the good guys, right?”

“We were the good guys a year ago. Back when we still believed in heroes. When we were all lined up innocently in WynGlo’s parking lot, waiting to have lunch with our friends and family. Trusting that those so-called heroes were keeping us safe.” Nessa’s dimpled smile sharpened, her investor’s mind already calculating angles and risks. She pulled up a spreadsheet on her phone, the blue light harsh against her freckled skin. The rows, columns, and formulas took my accountant side to my happy place. “But since then, I’ve actually run the numbers. Forty-two casualties in that ‘heroic’ missile redirect. Property damage in the millions. And for what? A golden key? Worth ten grand, by the way. They call that justice. I call it a bargain sale on human lives.”

The words hung in the air like Madison’s smoke. We all knew what she was implying.

“But, guys, we know Doctor Quackery was really behind that missile,” Madison said. “Who knows what he was after, other than evil scientist shenanigans.”

“And he’s in super-lockdown prison.” I took another sip of wine to cool the rising anger. “While the Wons are free. Celebrated. Honored.”

Jasmine, the quietest among us, flicked her wrist. Five napkins floated through the air, landing in front of each of us with the precision of a mama bird feeding her chicks. Her hands shook slightly – they always did now, since that day. “Ladies,” she murmured, “my therapist says anger is a valid response to injustice.” A bitter laugh escaped her. “I don’t think this is what she meant, but I’m liking this idea.”

The memory flashed through my mind: the missile streaking across the sky, the Wonderful Wons nowhere to be seen, the explosion that lit up WynGlo Chemical like a second sun. The glowing dust that rained down on us, giving us powers. My sister Ellie, working overtime on a Saturday, never had a chance to evacuate.

I leaned forward, gripping the table’s edge. “We can’t just sit here.” My voice cracked, but I pushed forward. “The five we lost deserve justice. After all, the villain is just the hero of their own story.” I raised my glass. “For Ellie, Marv, Hank, Nell, and—” I hesitated, looking at Jasmine.

She swallowed, her spine straightening even as her voice wavered. “And Jasper.” Her son’s name sat between us, heavy. “He would’ve been seven next month.”

Hannah’s fingers carefully strummed the table, but the thunder that cracked outside gave away her true emotions. “They never even checked. Just redirected that missile and patted themselves on the back. No evacuation order, no sweep of the building, nothing.”

“You’re right. Maybe Quackery was the one that gave the order to launch that missile, but the Wons were the ones at fault for where it hit.” Madison laid her father’s old firefighter belt buckle on the table, her eyes glistening. Her wine glass steamed in her other hand. “Like, hello? They’ve got super-vision, super-speed, but they couldn’t take two seconds to check for civilians? Daddy always said check the building twice, even for a small fire. But these guys just—” Her voice broke as flames danced along her fingertips.

“Forty-one people.” I was fully hovering now, fury lifting me inches off the plush velvet booth. “They might have saved millions, but they sacrificed our families to do it.” I let out a hollow laugh. “And Obsidian City worships those so-called heroes. They even call themselves lucky to have them. Did you see the morning show? They’re launching a breakfast cereal.”

Nessa tapped her phone against the table, her smirk growing. “If we’re doing this, we need a plan. A real one.” She sipped her Moscato. “First, obviously, better outfits than those spandex-loving idiots. I’m thinking leather.”

“Lots of leather?” Hannah murmured, her lips curving into a wicked grin. A storm cloud formed over her wine glass, raining into the merlot. “The Ladies in Leather.”

Madison’s fingers danced with flames. “Ooh, that’s like, totally hot.” She paused. “Get it? Because…” She wiggled her burning fingers.

Like usual, we all ignored the pun. “So, you’re in?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Madison let a tiny smile escape. “You ladies are all I have. Without you all this past year, I don’t know where I’d be. We stick together.”

“Likewise,” Jasmine said, wiping her eyes. The rest of the ladies nodded, all of us taking a moment of silence to appreciate our found family.

Nessa quickly switched into strategy mode. “First, we need loyal henchmen and enough resources to outmaneuver the superheroes.”

“Superzeros,” Madison corrected, her giggle sharp now.

Jasmine reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a box of Goldfish crackers—Jasper’s favorite—and passed them around. Some habits were hard to break. “And we train. Prepare for everything. No innocent casualties.”

Hannah drained her chardonnay, static electricity building in her hair. “We keep our enemies close. Play nice. Stay hidden.” Her voice darkened. “Until we don’t.”

“And when they least expect it…” I slammed my fist into my palm, still hovering slightly off the booth. “We strike.”

Madison grinned, though her eyes were wet. “Don’t forget the highly important chocolate and wine rations.”

“This is good… our supervillain code.” I exhaled, my grip on my glass steady for the first time all night. I snatched one of Jasmine’s floating napkins before anyone noticed and scrawled the only title that made me smile: A Girl’s Guide to Supervillainy.

For the first time since the explosion, the powerless feeling of not being able to seek justice for my sister’s death began to fade.

Hannah twirled her empty glass, storm clouds gathering outside the window. “Think about it. We’ll be the ones who actually bring real change. Not just ‘saving the day’ for the cameras.”

Madison raised her glass, the liquid inside bubbling. “Here’s to being the bad guys for once. To making those arrogant superzeros pay for their mistakes.”

Nessa clinked her glass against Madison’s, all deal-making confidence. “And to better costumes. I’ve got a leather supplier on speed dial.”

Jasmine smirked, telekinetically arranging Goldfish into a tiny army. “And to really cool names like the Mind Mistress, Storm Singer, Scorch, Telepathic Titan, and…” Her voice trailed off as she set her glass down with a soft thud.

We all turned to her expectantly.

“…Dang,” she muttered. “That’s all I got.”

“How about Dark Sky…Something,” I said, still hovering. “Still workshopping the last part, but I’ll get there. Maybe after another glass of wine.”

Hannah raised her empty glass. “To the Ladies in Leather—and to bringing real justice.”

Glasses clinked.

A shadow fell over our table. We froze, wine glasses halfway to our lips.

Benji stood there, our favorite waiter, his neon green bowtie slightly askew. His eyes twinkled as they swept over the scorch marks on the table, the floating Goldfish army, and my not-quite-grounded state. Both me and the goldfish slowly floated back in our seats. Maybe he didn’t notice.

“Ladies,” he drawled, one perfectly groomed eyebrow raised. “You’re plotting something deliciously wicked, aren’t you?”

Nessa didn’t miss a beat. “Wine heist,” she deadpanned, raising her nearly empty glass. “Very Ocean’s 8.”

Benji pressed a hand to his chest in mock delight. “Oh my god. The underground wine scene is brutal. My boyfriend is going to lose his mind when I tell him I met actual players in the game.” He slid a napkin onto our table with a flourish and scribbled his phone number in glittery purple ink. “If you need an inside man—I can be bought for a bottle of cabernet.” And then he winked. “And I’m good at keeping secrets.”

As he sashayed away, Madison giggled, a few sparks flying from her fingertips. “Did we just accidentally recruit our first henchman?”

“Looks like it.” I sank back into the booth. “Every supervillain needs a good staff. Especially one who knows his wines.”

Two hours and several bottles later, we stumbled out of the bar, arms linked. Somewhere in the distance, a police siren wailed. Probably the Wonderful Wons, off to save the day without checking for casualties first.

We weren’t just five broken women anymore.

We were the Ladies in Leather and we had finally found our purpose.

And first on the agenda?

Figuring out how to plan vengeance while hungover.

Also, finding a better name than Dark Sky Something. Seriously, the wine was not helping with the creative process as much as promised.