Carried Away by TJ Derry (EXCERPT)

Hello, readers! Today we have a pulse-pounding excerpt for you from debut author TJ Derry’s soul-searching adventure novel, Carried Away!

From the press materials:

“Feeling numb and worn down by routine, Cole leaves New York for a chain of tropical Indonesian islands, chasing silence, clarity, and something real. Amidst the salt and heat, he reconnects with old friends and finds an unexpected spark with someone who sees through his detachment. But paradise has teeth. After a catastrophic tsunami, the laid-back surf trip quickly turns into a violent fight for survival. Cut off from the world, the group is tested physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and Cole is forced into a rare kind of stillness, the kind that redefines what matters.”

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to Sungai Watch, an organization dedicated to reducing ocean pollution by cleaning up Indonesia’s rivers. Having grown up in neighboring Malaysia, I find this a very worthy cause.

Read on for a thrilling excerpt from this gripping tale of survival!

~~~~~~~

Chaos erupted as the first wave arrived, detonating the sea around me. My body was tossed backward like tumbleweed, then driven deep below the surface. Paradise had turned violent, alive, and intent on undoing everything.

This is it. I’m not surviving this.

—

It was March 20th—the fourth day of our seemingly idyllic trip. The weather in Indonesia was hot and balmy, with calm winds and clear skies. The water was a creamy cyan blue, its warmth blurring the boundary between ocean and air. Life had been perfect: surfing utopian waves, eating well, and exploring the island with a group of Australians we had befriended. Our plan was simple: venture to a remote outer reef by boat, surf for a few hours, and then return to the resort in time to meet our new friends for dinner. But that hope had vanished as I was pulled deeper into liquid oblivion.

—

When the wave hit, the water temperature dropped sharply, as if it carried a darkness up from the depths. What had moments ago been warm and dreamlike was now frigid and predatory. Pieces of coral and rock debris trapped in the current tore my skin, exposing flesh to the stinging brine. My surf leash yanked at my ankle, tugging harder with each passing second. I prayed it wouldn’t let go and leave me stranded without flotation, assuming I was ever able to escape the sea’s grip.

I sank deeper.

Sunlight faded to a dim haze behind my eyelids, while crushing pressure clamped down on my ears. I opened my eyes to get my bearings, but debris forced them shut.

Please let this end!

I kicked upward, but the current held me in place. My intentions were meaningless now—the once accommodating and friendly seascape had turned against me.

It was unclear how long I’d been under, but it felt like minutes since I’d last seen Kavi, Fern, or Logan, who’d been paddling next to me when the sea began to swirl beneath our boards.

Were they still alive? If I made it to the surface—what then?

Fighting was futile. The harder I struggled, the worse things got.

Exhausted, I surrendered—

My limbs went slack, chest convulsing in a final, desperate bid for oxygen. I was seconds from inhaling—air or not. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears blurred everything, as a flood of images raced through my mind.

Strangely, I began to accept it.

This is how I die.

I lay still—trapped in black liquid purgatory, spasms working their way through my limbs as I waited for the end.

And then, the sea let go—

Disoriented, I flailed—hoping I was moving toward breathable air. As I rose, the urge took over and I gasped. Saltwater poured down my throat, searing my lungs and twisting my organs into seizure. I vomited repeatedly as I climbed the last few feet, aspirating more water each time. I broke the surface, spewing a bitter mix of salt and stomach acid. All I could hear was the hiss of tiny bubbles bursting around me and the rasp of my own retching. Blinded by the sunlight, I fumbled for my ankle leash and pulled my board beneath my battered torso.

When my eyes adjusted, the scene was otherworldly: brown, frothing water rushed in every direction, forming treacherous whirlpools and a seascape so altered, so violent, it felt like the end of the world. I was nowhere near the reef where we’d been surfing. The island was gone—vanished—replaced by endless horizon.

Faint calls echoed in the distance. My heart jumped as I spun, frantically searching for my friends. Just as I opened my mouth to shout, I caught another wave crashing in my periphery.

I had a split second to inhale and brace before the wall of white water slammed into me, dragging me back into the abyss…

~~~~~~~

From Carried Away by TJ Derry. Copyright © 2025 by the author and reprinted by permission.

Carried Away by TJ Derry will be published November 11 2025 by Lost Signal and is available from all good booksellers, including