Scavenger Hunt!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Deadlock(June 25th!), my publisher has arranged a Scavenger Hunt! Follow the links at the end of each stop and collect clues along the way! At the end of the Scavenger Hunt, enter your clues to be entered to win the grand prize: a Nespresso Espresso maker and coffee goodies to keep your all-night hacking (or reading) sessions going strong. You might find a few bonus giveaways in hidden links throughout the Scavenger Hunt, too, including print copies of Deadlock!

To get you started, here is the first chapter of Deadlock! I’m so excited for you to meet Lindsey and Jace.

Chapter 1:

I’m going to kill my sister.

Lindsey Morris gritted her teeth into a smile for the photo her jolly Aunt Martha snapped, the silent threat in her head becoming more of an inevitable truth with each passing moment. God knows, it wasn’t unlike her twin sister Lena to flake out on her, but their parents’ fortieth anniversary party was something the two of them had been planning for months. All for Lena to leave Lindsey holding the bag. Again.

Relieved from picture duty at last, she left her parents and hustled in her towering heels across the banquet hall to check on the champagne, dodging cousins and uncles and aunts. She hadn’t seen some of them in years. If a certain sister hadn’t left her running this entire show, she might have had time to stop and catch up with each of them.

All of it had come together nicely, though. Her parents were beaming in front of a life-size poster of one of their wedding pictures, forty years having done nothing to dim their happiness and love for each other. Lindsey snapped a picture of her own before slipping out the door into an echoing hallway to dial Lena. As expected, her sister’s voicemail greeting chirped in her ear.

“Hello?” A long pause ensued, during which Lindsey’s blood pressure spiked. “Gotcha! Sorry, you don’t get to talk to me right now. If you want to talk to me later, better make it good.”

Lindsey waited for the tone. “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to strangle you. Dammit, Lena, where are you?”

Hours passed before she could get away to the blissful solitude of her apartment, where she hoped a glass of wine and a Simpsons marathon might make her feel a little better. But even Bart and Homer’s animated antics weren’t enough. Her anger had burned away to sad ashes, and she couldn’t get her parents’ disappointed faces out of her mind. It would serve Lena right if none of them ever spoke to her again, as drastic as it sounded, but something about Lena made one eager to trust her and believe her when she made the promises she never kept. And the anger Lindsey felt when that inevitably happened could just as easily be turned on herself for enabling her twin, for never enforcing any consequences when Lena flaked out.

But how many times had she tried? How many times had it worked?

Then her glass was empty, and she poured another, sitting alone on her couch and staring at the way the light from the TV played hypnotically through the crimson depths as she swirled the liquid in her glass. Everything she was doing to make herself feel better was having the opposite effect. The fact she had no one to vent her frustrations to made it worse. Bad-mouthing her sister to their parents wasn’t an option, especially today—they were probably on the plane for their anniversary trip to Cabo San Lucas.

Lucky them.

“I need a vacation, too,” Lindsey told her wineglass. It was the only one there to listen. Then, sighing, she set it down on her coffee table and picked up her phone, shooting ramrod straight when she saw that she had somehow missed a text from Lena twenty minutes ago. She’d probably been in the kitchen scavenging.

Sorry. Ran into some trouble. Give Mom and Dad my love. I need a favor. Go to this address and ask him for help. Please. It will all become clear.

An address followed, which Lindsey’s eyes scanned without seeing. Her brain had shorted out on the word “favor.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” she asked her phone, gripping it with a force that threatened to shatter it.

Lena in trouble was nothing new. Ever since high school, on through college, and even after, she’d been getting herself or someone else into shit she couldn’t always talk her way out of. Thinking Lindsey would simply forget about tonight and rush in to help her was simply par for the course, but Jesus, it had to stop sometime, didn’t it?

One thing was for sure. No way was she going to that address, wherever it was. To some strange place to ask someone she didn’t know for—what, even? Who was she supposed to be looking for? She wasn’t about to let Lena make her look like an idiot on top of everything.

No one else could get her off her warm cocoon on the couch to face the biting cold. She didn’t know what she might find at her sister’s apartment; she didn’t care, but she was going all the same. Lena probably wouldn’t be there, but maybe it wouldn’t be too difficult to nose around and find out where she was. Then she would go find her, even if she had to hop on a plane to do it.

There were some things she desperately needed to say to Lena’s face, and it was well past time.

She rushed through her apartment, throwing on a coat and shoving her feet into boots, her pulse pounding in her ears. No one else on earth could push her buttons like this. Lindsey hadn’t trusted Lena since college, her twin’s antics during that particular time of their lives having been the final straw.

Yes, she was her sister. Yes, Lindsey still loved her as such. Gossip sessions, shopping trips, friendship…those areas had always come easily. But real trust?That ship had sailed years ago, when Lena had pulled what was probably her cruelest stunt of all—at least that Lindsey knew of. The skeletons that could lurk hidden in Lena’s closet were enough to give her cold chills. The two of them had the same face, and Lena probably had enough enemies that Lindsey should look over her own shoulder when she walked down the street.

In the back of the Uber she called because wine and rage and driving didn’t mix, she white-knuckled her purse straps all the way to her sister’s apartment, going over everything she wanted to say in her mind in case Lena was there. Confrontation ordinarily tied her tongue up in knots, and no doubt it would this time.

She had to have her words straight in her head or they would slip right out. But niggling in the back of her mind was the fact that their parents would never get over an irreparable rift between them, no matter the cause. It was enough for her to rein in on a few of the epithets she wished to hurl at Lena’s perpetually smug face. But not many.

If Lena was off having a grand adventure with plans to show up next week thinking all was well—she added the epithets back in.

Long ago, Lena had given Lindsey a key to her apartment so she could water her plants while she was away. The plants had died anyway—Lena didn’t even take care of them herself after she got home from wherever she’d been. But Lindsey had hung on to the key, and it had come in handy more than once. She stalked directly to her sister’s door, lifted her fist to beat on it, thought better of it—she might not even answer—and fit the key into the lock.

The sight that greeted her as she flipped the nearby light switch caused her heart to stutter and her breath to catch, momentarily choking her.

Her sister’s apartment was trashed.


Scavenger Hunt: Where are Lindsey’s parents going for their anniversary trip?

Next stop, Melynda Price

Deadlock releases June 25th! You can pick it up in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold. Add it on Goodreads!

 

 

 

139,237 thoughts on “Scavenger Hunt!”

  1. What a Proxy Matters Along With How People Can Start on Modern Web Use: A First Person Walkthrough From a Non Expert

    Before I explain anything, I want to be clear about who is writing this.
    I am an ordinary writer and not a networking specialist, I
    carry no certificates or titles, and I set up no servers specifically to prepare this article.
    What follows summarizes published ideas and common sense, so please treat
    it as an introduction and verify the details yourself.

    The Work Behind This Guide

    An honest article about what a proxy server is was slow work, as many sources exaggerate either the promise or
    the danger. The text was rewritten more than once, restructured twice, and cleaned of
    every unsupported claim. I read public networking guidance and deleted anything that sounded like a
    promise of results, and I share it so you know the work was careful and not rushed.

    The One Sentence Definition

    A proxy server is a machine placed between you and a website that takes your request, sends it on, and returns the reply.
    Because of that, the site sees the proxy as the visitor instead of your
    device, which explains most uses. I am not a network engineer and I tested no product for this article, so these are
    plain explanations and not expert instructions, and ask real professionals.

    The Receptionist Comparison

    Picture writing a letter to a company and giving it to a messenger who puts their own return address on it,
    so replies reach the messenger first. The messenger passes the
    answer on to you, and the company never sees your address, though
    the messenger knows who you are. This detail matters because it shows a proxy shifts trust to another party and does not remove it, so trust matters
    a lot.

    Following One Request

    With a proxy, your browser or app sends traffic to the proxy address and port
    first, and the proxy then opens its own connection to the destination. The site answers the proxy, which receives the data and
    relays it to you over your existing connection. This normally takes a fraction of a second,
    but the extra hop adds delay, so speed differs between services, and you can measure it yourself.

    Your Public Address

    Every device that connects to the internet appears to websites through
    an IP address, which works a bit like a street address for network traffic.
    Without a proxy the site sees the public IP of your home, office,
    or mobile network, and with one it sees the proxy’s
    address. Sites can still learn your browser, language, and logged in accounts, so changing the IP is not the same as becoming invisible, and it is easy
    to forget.

    Everyday Uses

    People use proxies to test how a site looks from other
    countries, manage business accounts where allowed, collect public data, check ads, or add control in company networks.
    Some uses are routine and harmless and others break site rules or laws, and the technology does not decide which
    one you are doing. I would always read the terms of
    the sites involved and consult a professional when the legal side is unclear, because ignorance is no defense.

    Forward Proxies and Reverse Proxies

    A forward proxy represents the user in front of clients, while a reverse proxy represents a
    website in front of servers, and both relay traffic for different
    owners. When people buy a proxy they nearly always mean a forward proxy, yet
    reverse proxies are everywhere handling load balancing,
    caching, and security. Knowing the difference prevents confusion when documents
    use the word proxy in two different ways, and later articles can go deeper.

    Proxy Protocols in Brief

    Proxies use different protocols, mainly HTTP for web traffic, HTTPS capable
    for encrypted tunnels, and SOCKS for many kinds of connections.
    If the software and proxy protocol do not match, the connection fails with a vague message.
    When buying or configuring, check the protocol and
    test with a small request before relying on it, and keep a
    note of the settings.

    Datacenter and Residential Addresses

    Datacenter proxies use hosting company addresses and are fast and cheap, while residential proxies use home connection addresses and resemble ordinary visitors.
    Cellular addresses give mobile proxies, and
    all types differ in price, speed, reliability, and site treatment.
    No type is always best, and the choice depends on your
    task, budget, and the rules of the sites involved, and honest providers will explain this.

    Transparent, Anonymous, and Elite

    A transparent proxy reveals that it is a proxy and may pass your real IP, an anonymous proxy hides
    your IP but admits it is a proxy, and an elite proxy tries to
    appear normal. These labels are loose and providers use them differently, so testing
    beats trusting a label. Even an elite proxy cannot hide everything, because your browser,
    cookies, and behavior can still identify you, so keep your expectations modest.

    Sessions and Changing Addresses

    A static proxy keeps one IP address for a long time, while
    a rotating proxy changes addresses automatically per request
    or after a set time. Static addresses suit stable
    identity tasks, and rotating ones suit many requests spread across
    addresses within the rules. Rotation does not excuse bad behavior, and too many
    requests can harm a website or get you blocked, so respect rate limits.

    Similar but Different

    A VPN usually encrypts all device traffic
    and routes it via a server, while a proxy typically handles
    one application’s traffic and may not encrypt it. Both
    change the IP websites see but solve different problems,
    and a proxy gives finer control for tasks like testing or data collection. If your goal is general privacy on public networks, a reputable VPN is usually more suitable, though I am
    no expert and you should research it, and neither is magic.

    The Biggest Risk

    Since a proxy sits in the middle, its operator may see which sites you visit
    and, without end to end encryption, the content, so operator trustworthiness is the central security question.
    Free services carry extra risk as some add ads, collect data, or use unwilling devices.
    Never send passwords, banking details, or private
    messages through a proxy you do not fully trust, and prefer encrypted connections, and remember the risk.

    Legal and Ethical Basics

    Using a proxy is legal in many countries, but using one for fraud,
    bypassing paid access without rights, harassment, or
    crime remains illegal and unethical. Websites have terms of
    service, and breaking them can cause blocks, lost data, or complaints, so read rules before automating.
    Laws differ between countries and I am no lawyer, so ask a qualified professional about your situation, and keep records of your purpose.

    Choosing a Provider Wisely

    Good providers explain where addresses come from, state clear rules, show transparent pricing,
    and offer support, while red flags are unrealistic promises, unclear sourcing,
    and payment pressure. Read independent reviews cautiously since some are
    paid or fake, and prefer your own small test
    over rankings online. Because I tested none I recommend no one, and suggest comparing two or more,
    and start small.

    Common Problems and Simple Fixes

    Typical problems are wrong settings, blocked ports, expired logins, protocol mismatches, or
    sites refusing the address, and many can be solved by checking basics one at a time.
    Start by confirming the address, port, username, and password,
    then test another website, then contact support with exact error messages.
    Changing many things at once hides the cause, so change one setting and retest, and stay calm.

    Mistakes Beginners Often Make

    A frequent error is trusting free proxy
    lists, which are often slow, unreliable, and unsafe, making them a
    poor starting point. Another is expecting a proxy to guarantee
    anonymity or make any activity safe, when it only changes the visible address.
    A third is ignoring site rules and law because the proxy
    feels like a shield, which can lead to blocks or worse, and
    I would try to avoid them.

    Words You Will Meet Often

    An IP address identifies where traffic comes from, a port is a numbered entrance on a server, and a protocol
    is the rule set machines use to talk. Latency is the delay before data arrives, bandwidth is how much data moves in a time,
    and authentication is proving who you are. Learning these words makes provider pages and tutorials simpler, and it helps
    you ask better questions.

    What You Can Rely On

    I will say it one more time: I am not an expert, I hold no credentials, and I tested no proxy product for this article.
    This article summarizes public information and common sense, and things like offers and terms update all the
    time, so please verify everything with official sources.

    Wrapping Up

    A proxy server is simply a middle machine that passes your requests along, and understanding that one idea makes
    the rest of the topic much easier. I appreciate your attention, and I hope the effort behind this guide was useful.

  2. How a Proxy Works Plus Why Beginners Are Used on the
    Internet: A Plain Explanation For Curious Beginners

    Before I explain anything, I want to be clear
    about who is writing this. I do not sell proxies and I have
    no insider knowledge of any provider, I carry no certificates or titles, and I
    measured no speeds and ran no benchmarks for these notes.
    What follows summarizes published ideas and common sense,
    so use it as a starting point and not as professional advice.

    What Writing This Cost Me

    Writing about what a proxy server is honestly was harder than I expected,
    because it is tempting to sound more certain than I really am.
    I went through multiple versions, reorganized the outline
    two times, and removed each line that lacked open evidence.
    I read public networking guidance and deleted anything that sounded
    like a promise of results, and I mention this because readers deserve
    to know how a text was made.

    Starting Simple

    A proxy server is a machine placed between you and a website that takes your request,
    sends it on, and returns the reply. The website then sees the proxy as
    the visitor and not your own device, which is the core reason people use
    these tools. I hold no networking qualifications and tried
    no product here, so these are simple explanations and not
    expert guidance, and please verify details yourself.

    Imagine a Messenger

    Picture writing a letter to a company and giving it to a messenger who puts
    their own return address on it, so replies reach the
    messenger first. The messenger passes the answer on to you, and the company
    never sees your address, though the messenger knows who you are.
    This detail matters because it shows a proxy shifts trust to another party and does not remove it, so trust matters a lot.

    What Happens Step by Step

    With a proxy, your browser or app sends traffic to the proxy address and port first, and the proxy then opens its own connection to the destination. The site answers the proxy, which receives the data and
    relays it to you over your existing connection. This normally takes a
    fraction of a second, but the extra hop adds delay,
    so speed differs between services, and testing helps.

    Your Public Address

    Every connected device appears to websites through an IP address, which acts
    like a street address for network traffic.

    Without a proxy the site sees the public IP of your home, office, or mobile network, and with one
    it sees the proxy’s address. Sites can still learn your browser, language, and logged in accounts, so changing the IP
    is not the same as becoming invisible, and this matters for privacy.

    Everyday Uses

    People use proxies to test how a site looks from other countries, manage business accounts where allowed,
    collect public data, check ads, or add control in company networks.
    Some uses are routine and harmless and others break site rules or laws, and the technology does not decide which
    one you are doing. I would always read the terms of the sites involved
    and consult a professional when the legal side is unclear, because ignorance is no defense.

    Forward Proxies and Reverse Proxies

    A forward proxy represents the user in front of clients,
    while a reverse proxy represents a website in front of servers, and both relay traffic for different owners.
    When people buy a proxy they nearly always mean a forward proxy,
    yet reverse proxies are everywhere handling load balancing, caching, and security.
    Knowing the difference prevents confusion when documents
    use the word proxy in two different ways, and later articles
    can go deeper.

    Proxy Protocols in Brief

    Proxies use different protocols, mainly HTTP for web traffic, HTTPS capable for encrypted tunnels, and SOCKS for many kinds of connections.
    If the software and proxy protocol do not match, the connection fails with a vague message.
    When buying or configuring, check the protocol and test with a small request before
    relying on it, and be patient.

    Datacenter and Residential Addresses

    Datacenter proxies use hosting company addresses and are fast and
    cheap, while residential proxies use home connection addresses and resemble ordinary visitors.
    Cellular addresses give mobile proxies, and all types differ in price, speed,
    reliability, and site treatment. No type is always best,
    and the choice depends on your task, budget, and the rules of the sites involved, and honest providers will explain this.

    What They Reveal

    A transparent proxy reveals that it is a proxy and may pass your real IP, an anonymous proxy hides your
    IP but admits it is a proxy, and an elite proxy tries to appear normal.
    These labels are loose and providers use them differently, so
    testing beats trusting a label. Even an elite proxy cannot hide everything, because your browser,
    cookies, and behavior can still identify you, so remember that.

    Which Behavior You Need

    A static proxy keeps one IP address for a long time, while a rotating
    proxy changes addresses automatically per request or after a set time.
    Static addresses suit stable identity tasks, and rotating ones suit
    many requests spread across addresses within the rules.

    Rotation does not excuse bad behavior, and too many requests
    can harm a website or get you blocked, so respect rate limits.

    Proxy Versus VPN

    A VPN usually encrypts all device traffic and routes it
    via a server, while a proxy typically handles one application’s traffic and may not encrypt it.
    Both change the IP websites see but solve different problems, and a proxy gives finer control for tasks like testing or data collection.
    If your goal is general privacy on public networks, a reputable
    VPN is usually more suitable, though I am no expert and you should
    research it, and neither is magic.

    Who Can See Your Traffic

    Since a proxy sits in the middle, its operator may
    see which sites you visit and, without end to end encryption, the content,
    so operator trustworthiness is the central security question. Free services carry extra risk as some add ads, collect data,
    or use unwilling devices. Never send passwords, banking details,
    or private messages through a proxy you do not fully trust, and prefer
    encrypted connections, and read the provider’s privacy policy.

    Rules That Still Apply

    Using a proxy is legal in many countries, but using one for fraud, bypassing paid
    access without rights, harassment, or crime remains illegal and unethical.
    Websites have terms of service, and breaking them can cause
    blocks, lost data, or complaints, so read rules before automating.
    Because laws vary and I am not a lawyer, consult a professional, and be honest with yourself.

    Red Flags to Notice

    Good providers explain where addresses come from, state clear rules, show transparent pricing, and offer support, while red
    flags are unrealistic promises, unclear sourcing, and payment pressure.
    Read independent reviews cautiously since some are paid or fake, and prefer your own small test over
    rankings online. I cannot recommend any provider because I tested none,
    and I would suggest comparing at least two before choosing, and check refund terms.

    Basic Troubleshooting

    Typical problems are wrong settings, blocked ports, expired logins,
    protocol mismatches, or sites refusing the address,
    and many can be solved by checking basics one at a time. Start by
    confirming the address, port, username, and password, then test another website, then contact support
    with exact error messages. Alter one setting per test to find the cause,
    and stay calm.

    What I Would Try to Avoid

    A frequent error is trusting free proxy lists, which are often slow, unreliable, and
    unsafe, making them a poor starting point. Another is expecting a proxy to guarantee anonymity or make any activity
    safe, when it only changes the visible address. A third is ignoring site rules and law because the proxy feels
    like a shield, which can lead to blocks or worse, and I would try to avoid them.

    Plain Definitions

    An IP address identifies where traffic comes from, a
    port is a numbered entrance on a server, and a protocol is
    the rule set machines use to talk. Latency is the delay
    before data arrives, bandwidth is how much data
    moves in a time, and authentication is proving who you are.

    These definitions make documentation clearer, and it protects
    you from jargon.

    A Word About Honesty

    I want to restate my limits: I am not an expert, I
    hold no credentials, and I tested no proxy product for this article.
    These notes condense open sources and general reasoning, and facts like features, costs, and policies shift constantly,
    so please verify everything with official sources.

    Final Thoughts

    Proxies are useful tools with real limits,
    and knowing both sides will protect you from hype and bad choices.
    I appreciate your attention, and I hope the work I put into these notes helped.

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