Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: The Glass Butterfly by A.G. Howard

I am so excited that THE GLASS BUTTERFLY by A.G. Howard is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author A.G. Howard, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for some amazing prizes courtesy of A.G. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

THE GLASS BUTTERFLY (Haunted Hearts Legacy #3)

Author: A.G. Howard

Release Date: August 15, 2018

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 278

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

All other formats and vendors will be available on the official launch date: August 15, 2018

Description:

For close to a decade, twenty-five-year-old Felicity Lonsdale has masqueraded as a dowager almost twice her age—selling caterpillars to butterfly consortiums—enabling her to hide an ill-fated past while raising her late brother’s daughters. Together, the three live on an isolated Irish estate bequeathed by a dying earl. When the earl’s estranged son arrives to claim his inheritance by threatening to expose Felicity’s true identity, she longs to pack up her nieces and run. But a ghostly secret within the castle’s turret holds her captive. 

Nick Thornton—a Roma viscount’s heir—is also captive. After a tryst with an investor’s wife nearly destroyed his family’s holiday resort, Nick forsook everything to elope with her. However, a tragic mistake at his hand led to her and his baby’s deaths. Refusing to turn to the family he shamed, Nick travels to seek the countess who once co-wrote a romance with his sister. There’s rumor of a special butterfly in her keep—a transparent-winged species with ties to the afterlife. Nick hopes to contact his dead wife and child, for only their forgiveness can free him. 

Upon his arrival to Felicity’s estate, Nick offers to help her defeat the earl’s son, on the condition she allow Nick to investigate her glass butterflies. Felicity agrees, though fears the closer he gets to the ghosts of his past, the closer he’ll come to uncovering her own. As Nick spends time with Felicity and her nieces, he realizes the mystery enshrouding this fragile countess and her castle is more intriguing than the ghosts he originally came to find. And perhaps putting his dead to rest and helping her do the same will be his true path to redemption.

About the series: 

THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART

Author: A.G. Howard

Release Date: August 15, 2017

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Pages: 339

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Golden Orb Press, Goodreads

Description:
 

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song:

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG

Author: A.G. Howard

Release Date: August 15, 2016

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Pages: 425

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Goodreads

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

New Adult: Recommended for ages 17+.

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: All International

There are four prize packs up for grabs. The image below shows what each one contains.

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Girl at the Grave Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Girl at the Grave
Author: Terri Bailey Black
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Publisher: Tor Teen

Description:

Valentine has spent years trying to outrun her mother's legacy. But small towns have long memories, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a murderer.

Only one person believes Valentine is innocent—Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed all those years ago. Valentine vows to find the real killer, but when she finally uncovers the horrifying truth, she must choose to face her own dark secrets, even if it means losing Rowan in the end.  

Praise:

"With its vibrant, atmospheric setting and lush, captivating prose, Girl at the Grave is a searing Gothic story of love and murder that will burn in readers' hearts and minds long after reading." ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco

“Girl at the Grave kept me up late at night with its non-stop secrets, twists, and scandals. An entertaining homage to classic Gothic romances that will keep readers guessing until the very last chapter.” ―Cat Winters, author of Odd & True  

You can purchase Girl at the Grave at the following Retailers:

        

Girl at the Grave is an atmospheric historical mystery that blends in Gothic elements and romance to create a great debut novel. I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I love mysteries and anything Gothic, so I was excited to read this one. I didn't really have any expectations going in and I was definitely impressed by what I found inside the pages. If I hadn't known it was a debut, I never would've guessed it. The author has a natural storytelling ability that allows her talent to shine. I was hooked from the very first page and I didn't stop reading until I had finished the entire novel - a few hours later. There were lots of twists and turns you don't see coming, secrets that are uncovered, and (of course) the romance was a nice addition. I normally don't really like a big romantic presence when the book is a different genre, for example a thriller, because it tends to overshadow the main plot and takes away from it. The author managed to find a way to evenly balance the two so the reader gets the tension from the mystery along with the swoony romance at the same time. 

I liked all of the main characters, especially Valentine. I found her realistic and easy to identify with right from the start. She's followed by the guilt and shame of what her mother did years before and can't escape its shadow - even though she's kind, thoughtful, loving, smart, determined, and so many other wonderful things. People in a small town never forget the past - especially when it's scandal and murder. I loved watching Valentine and Rowan's relationship start as basically nothing and then grow and mature throughout the novel. The secondary characters were also well rounded and had unique personalities to set them each apart. The setting was perfect, in my opinion - a small New England town where everyone knows everyone else and nobody can keep secrets (for the most part). Finally, I want to mention the author's choice of writing style, which is always a huge deal for me. It can make or break a book if it's not done right, but I think the author did a fantastic job by using the first person point of view. We see the story from Valentine's perspective and get to know her on a very personal level that no other writing style allows. This is one of the main reasons I prefer this style and I think it was a perfect fit for the novel. I definitely recommend this book for fans of YA, historical fiction, Gothic literature, mysteries, and romance.

Teri Bailey Black grew up near the beach in Southern California in a large, quirky family with no television or junk food, but an abundance of books and art supplies. She’s happiest when she’s creating things, whether it’s with words, fabric, or digging in the garden. She makes an amazing chocolate cherry cake—frequently. She and her husband have four children and live in Orange County, California. Girl at the Grave is her debut novel.

Author Links:
WEBSITE: https://www.teribaileyblack.com/
TWITTER: @TeriBaileyBlack
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16172003.Teri_Bailey_Black
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/teribaileyblack/

 

(6) winners will receive a Copy of GIRL AT THE GRAVE by Teri Bailey Black.

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

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The Breathless Blog Tour: Review

The Breathless
Author: Tara Goedjen
Genre: YA Gothic/Paranormal
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Description:

No one knows what really happened on the beach where Roxanne Cole’s body was found, but her boyfriend, Cage, took off that night and hasn’t been seen since. Until now. One year—almost to the day—from Ro’s death, when he knocks on the door of Blue Gate Manor and asks where she is.

Cage has no memory of the past twelve months. According to him, Ro was alive only the day before. Ro’s sister Mae wouldn’t believe him, except that something’s not right. Nothing’s been right in the house since Ro died.

And then Mae finds the little green book. The one hidden in Ro’s room. It’s filled with secrets—dangerous secrets—about her family, and about Ro. And if what it says is true, then maybe, just maybe, Ro isn’t lost forever.

And maybe there are secrets better left to the dead.  

 

The Breathless was another book that I'd been dying to read and ended up falling a bit short. Don't get me wrong - I loved almost everything about the novel. There were just a couple aspects that left me wanting more and it never came. But I'll explain that below. Just know that these are solely my issues and opinions - they don't have anything to do with the book itself. I'll break down the major aspects that stood out to me:

Plot: The plot for this book was dark, twisty, and had SO much potential. After reading the description, I knew I had to read it. But then once I started getting into the story, it just got better and better. There are so many fantastic ideas: magic (dark magic at that), possible necromancy, hidden rooms and loads of family secrets that went back generations. I was fully sucked in from the very beginning and I easily slipped into the world the author created. Like I said, the plot had so much potential and could have got in so many different ways. But what really bugged me were the questions left unanswered and a lot of things never fully explained. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't go into much detail. But the ending (epilogue) wasn't a huge surprise to me - there was quite a bit of foreshadowing and hints throughout the book, but it left gaping questions of who had done it, how and when had this happened, and why had it been done? Just explaining that part would have given me a lot of closure instead of ending with a feeling of being unfinished. Several other parts of the story, which some other readers might not care about, left me wondering as well. Especially parts about what happened in the past. What happened to these people we learn about? What about the cryptic drawings and "equations" in the book that were always being referred to? I thought for sure those would be explained and would help answer questions in the story line - but they weren't at all. Maybe that was to let the reader form their own conclusions and ideas? I don't know, but I personally wanted the gaps filled in so I could finish the book with the satisfaction that it had all been told. Sadly, that didn't happen for me. If these things would've been included, then I would have adored this novel and given it a much higher rating. Because I honestly loved everything else about it - but these holes left me wanting answers.

Characters: The characters were all pretty well written, especially Mae. We get to know her the best. We also get to know Cage pretty well, and even Ro on some level. The other secondary characters were pretty two dimensional and had minimal defining traits and characteristics. But that didn't bother me a whole lot because they weren't the focus of the story.

Writing Style: Here's another huge point for me when it comes to reading a book. Writing style can easily make or break a book for me. The author chose an interesting style when writing this novel. The story is written, in the majority, in the third person. Usually from Mae's point of view, but sometimes from Cage's. There were sections from the past mixed in that told the story of a young man named Grady - one of the first family members to live and grow up in Blue Gate Manor. Those parts help to give the reader a history of the family, the house, and the magic surrounding it all. I really loved reading these parts of the book and I think it gave the story a little something extra and different. Lastly, there were a few little parts that we written in the first person point of view, but almost always refers to a "we" instead of a singular person - and we never learn who these narrators are. That was another part of the story that bugged me. Those sections were fascinating and would've been a fantastic addition to the story - if only we were told who was speaking. Were they ghosts? Spirits from another realm? Again, I believe if this was revealed during the book, then I would've understood it much better and loved it more.

Overall, this was a fantastic YA gothic paranormal novel that is definitely worth the read. Although I had some issues with it, I did really enjoy reading it and recommend it to fans of paranormal, gothic fiction, fantasy, and even horror.

*A huge thanks to the wonderful people at Random House Children's Books for sending me a copy for review!*

  

Release Week Blitz + Giveaway: The Hummingbird Heart by A.G. Howard

I am so excited that THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART by A.G. Howard is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author A.G. Howard, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a 5 AMAZING Prizes courtesy of A.G. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART (Haunted Hearts Legacy #2)

Author: A.G. Howard

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 234

Find it: Golden Orb Press, Goodreads

Description:

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song:

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.

Grab Book 1!

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG (Haunted Hearts Legacy #1)

Author: A.G. Howard

Publication Date: August 15, 2016

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 425

Find it: Amazon, Goodreads

Description:

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

New Adult: Recommended for ages 17+.

In the dream, Willow was a child again. With each barefooted step around the stacks of baggage in steerage, she found them taking on new shapes: pyramids of clowns, bears, horses and feathered performers, all balanced atop one another. She was back at the circus, albeit a much hazier and dimmer rendition than she remembered. She skipped along the center ring, excited to be home at last. Grit and discarded trash snagged between her little toes. A spotlight clicked on to illuminate a trunk. From within came a thumping sound, and girlish giggles.

“Tildey!” Willow cried out, racing across the distance to find her doll, her pigtails slapping her face and neck upon each bounding step. The creak of abandoned trapezes swung overhead, cutting intermittently through a thick cloud of fog. Yet it wasn’t fog. It was tobacco—a stench that seeped into her leotard, her tights, her very pores, until she could taste it coating her tongue like bile.

The spotlight shifted from the trunk to a trapeze just above her where a shape took form in the light: a graceful silhouette in a shimmery leotard and glistening tutu.

“Mama?” Willow whispered in the dream, forgetting Tildey for the chance to see her mother perform once more.

The trapeze vanished into thin air but the aerialist continued a controlled descent toward her, held in place by harnesses attached to the center pole. A face came into view, painted white like a clown, with bloody eyes and a hollow of a mouth—stretched wide on a perpetual scream. Willow yelped and squeezed her lashes shut, willing away the creature … for it was not Mama.

When she opened them again, the freakish performer exploded into a flock of hummingbirds made of ink. They skittered around Willow, buzzing wings scraping her skin and hair, imprinting tattoos everywhere they touched. She screamed and stumbled backwards, bumping into the trunk which was somehow right behind her. A tinkly, off-key lullaby drifted from inside the giant box. The lid shook and shuddered, as if something wanted out.

Whimpering, Willow tried to back away, but her feet grew heavy. She looked down and ballet shoes, covered in steel spikes, swallowed them up. The empty harness that had held the ghastly aerialist slithered toward her like a snake, coiling itself around her legs and arms to hold her in place.

On the final haunting strains of music, the trunk’s lid popped open, and out from the midst rose a hunched old man, holding Nadia’s haunted shoes upside down. Blood and water gushed out of them—a stench of copper and stagnancy—and the man laughed with a voice that gnawed into her bones like a thousand snarling wolves.

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: All International

(1) Grand prize: Signed set of The Architect of Song & The Hummingbird Heart PB

(1) First Place prize: Signed The Hummingbird Heart PB

(1) Second Place prize: Signed The Hummingbird Heart poster

(3) Third – Fifth Place prizes: Signed The Architect of Song & The Hummingbird Heart swag pack sets

Ends on August 22nd at Midnight EST!

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Spotlight: Abigale Hall by Lauren A. Forry

Abigale Hall: A Novel
Author: Lauren A. Forry
Genre: Historical Fiction/Suspense/Gothic Mystery
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Description:

Amid the terror of the Second World War, seventeen-year-old Eliza and her troubled little sister Rebecca have had their share of tragedy, having lost their mother to the Blitz and their father to suicide. Forced to leave London to work for the mysterious Mr. Brownwell at Abigale Hall, they soon learn that the worst is yet to come. The vicious housekeeper, Mrs. Pollard, seems hell-bent on keeping the ghostly secrets of the house away from the sisters and forbids them from entering the surrounding town—and from the rumors that circulate about Abigale Hall. When Eliza uncovers some blood-splattered books, ominous photographs, and portraits of a mysterious woman, she begins to unravel the mysteries of the house, but with Rebecca falling under Mrs. Pollard’s spell, she must act quickly to save her sister, and herself, from certain doom.

Perfect for readers who hunger for the strange, Abigale Hall is an atmospheric debut novel where the threat of death looms just beyond the edge of every page. Lauren A. Forry has created a historical ghost story where the setting is as alive as the characters who inhabit it and a resonant family drama of trust, loyalty, and salvation.  

Lauren A. Forry was brought up in the woods of Bucks County, Pennsylvania where her FBI agent father and book-loving mother raised her on a diet of The X-Files and RL Stine. After earning her BA in Cinema Studies from New York University, she spent some time in film production before moving to London where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Kingston University. There she was awarded the Faber and Faber Creative Writing MA Prize for her first horror novel, The Compulsion. Her short stories have since been published by Brick Moon Fiction, Lamplight Magazine, and in multiple sci-fi and horror anthologies. She currently resides in the woods but can, on occasion, be found in the quieter parts of London.

https://twitter.com/laurenaforry 
https://www.facebook.com/laurenaforrywriter/ 
http://amazon.com/author/laurenforry 




 

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Chameleon by Zoe Kalo

Chameleon
Author: Zoe Kalo
Genre: YA Gothic/Multicultural
Release Date: February 15, 2017

Summary:

An isolated convent, a supernatural presence, a dark secret…

17-year-old Paloma only wanted to hold a séance to contact her dead father. She never thought she would be kicked out of school and end up in an isolated convent. Now, all she wants is to be left alone. But slowly, she develops a bond with a group of girls: kind-hearted Maria, insolent Silvy, pathological liar Adelita, and their charismatic leader Rubia.

When, yet again, Paloma holds a séance in the hope of contacting her father, she awakens an entity that has been dormant for years. And then, the body count begins. Someone doesn’t want the secret out…

Are the ghost and Paloma’s suspicions real—or only part of her growing paranoia and delusions? 

On sale for only $0.99 at Amazon through February 21st!

I cannot clearly say how I had entered the wood; I was so full of sleep just at the point where I abandoned the true path. 

 
--Dante Alighieri, Inferno 1. 11-12 

Chapter 1

Puerto Rico, 1973

Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss embraced us from both sides, but not enough to shield us from the prison that would be my home for the next seven months. The high stone walls and neo-Gothic bell tower loomed over us as my stepfather drove his Mercedes through the spiked iron gates and into the sloping, curving driveway.

A spider of dread crawled up my back. Prison indeed.

I couldn’t believe it had come to this. The way things had blown out of proportion. I’d only wanted to contact my dead father. Ask his forgiveness.

My mother reached for my hand from the front seat without turning around to look at me. I stared at her perfectly polished red nails and the glittery square cut emerald on her ring finger. Her fingers flicked, silently pleading for my attention, but I was frozen inside. Her hand retreated.

I stared at the convent, my eyes studying the dark arched windows, the worn, age-blackened stones. The place looked haunted. Perfect for my state of mind. What was my mother thinking?

Something moved behind one of the windows. A face. For an instant my pulse raced at the sheer paleness of it, at the two dark holes that made up its eyes.

“What are you looking at?” Sara, my six-year-old half sister, asked.

I pointed. “A girl.”

She followed my line of vision. “Where?”

“There. High up. In the window.”

She dipped her head so she could have a better look. “I don’t see anything.”

I felt a shiver, but not from the cold. It’s white. It’s watching us.

Then the car moved too close to the building, and the face vanished from view.

“Is this your new school, Paloma?” Sara asked.

I nodded. Sara was the child, female version of my stepfather. Her bottomless dark eyes, framed by velvety lashes, stared at me with misery. “I don’t like it,” she whispered, grabbing my hand.

“It’ll be okay,” I whispered back, and gave her hand a little squeeze.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Well, here we are,” Domenico said in his strong Castilian accent, stopping the car in front of the entrance. He climbed out and opened the door for my mother. Then he proceeded to take out my suitcases from the trunk.

My mother was silent. She stepped out like a wooden mannequin, her eyes shimmery with unshed tears.

I climbed out, followed by Sara, the gravel crunching under our shoes. The early morning air was cool and a blanket of mist still lingered—not surprising, since the convent was on the outskirts of El Yunque, the island’s rain forest. More Spanish moss hung from the oak trees and rippled in the breeze like long, shivering memories. I could smell the dew on the leaves and the rich perfume of moist earth, redolent of open graves.

I glanced at the ominous clouds. “Beautiful morning.”

An ongoing distant hum resonated all around us. One, two beats passed, before it struck me: Waterfall.

Something within me shut down—or exploded, I couldn’t be sure.

I shut my eyes for a second, wiping out memories of chilled water searing my lungs.

I repeated the eighth multiplication table in my head.

“After you,” Domenico said, interrupting my thoughts.

I wanted to loathe him. Tried to, anyway. I could see what my mother saw in him: a powerfully charismatic, handsome man with the infinite skill to make people do his bidding. My mother, with her small delicate features and petite frame, looked invisible beside him. A mere spectre. But that was just a façade. I knew better.

The big oak door opened and a nun clad in black habit and a wimple came down the steps to greet us.

Sara wrapped her arms around my waist. Her gesture both comforted me and heightened my anxiety. Nuns in habit made me think of great black birds.

“Bienvenidos,” the nun said. Like my stepfather, she also had a Castilian accent. “I’m Madre Estela and I’m second in charge to Madre Superiora. You must be Señor and Señora de Aznar.”

They exchanged small talk. Madre Estela sounded polite enough, but she didn’t offer to shake hands with my parents, which I found strange. Maybe nuns weren’t allowed to shake hands. I wouldn’t be surprised. I noticed the wedding band on her ring finger. Married to God. Absurd.

“You must be Paloma,” she said tonelessly.

“Yes,” I said. Wasn’t it obvious? I didn’t know what else to say.

The cross on her chest caught my attention. It had a crucified Christ on it and I noticed the thorns cutting Christ’s forehead, the little drops of blood glistening on His fragile body.

“Welcome to our school, Paloma.” Her critical gaze scrutinized my makeup, my tight jeans. “I’ve heard much about you.”

I didn’t miss the hint of cold disapproval in her voice. I wasn’t sure how much my parents had complained about my behavior, but considering I had been kicked out—well, actually, kindly asked to leave—my previous school in the middle of October, it couldn’t be good.

“Are you ready to resume your senior year of high school?” Stress on resume.

“I can’t wait,” I said. There was no point in being nice—or pretending to be. That just wasn’t me. I felt miserable and couldn’t hide it. Besides, I could tell from our short exchange that she’d made up her mind not to like me long before meeting me, and I had the sinking feeling that no matter what I said or did, her opinion wouldn’t change. I had already been stamped in her Inquisition book, tagged a criminal.

Madre Estela’s stony eyes moved to Sara. My little sister’s arms clutched my waist even tighter. From the nun’s expression, I could tell she was wondering if I had infected Sara with whatever plague ailed me. She dismissed us and turned back to my mother and stepfather. “Madre Superiora is expecting you in her office. Let’s not keep her waiting, shall we not? Don’t concern yourselves with the suitcases. Someone will come for them shortly.”

They thanked her and followed her up the steps.

“I don’t want to go in,” Sara said.

“It’ll be okay,” I said. I glanced at the window. I wanted to see the pale face again. But there was nothing.

A drop of rain hit my cheek and I wiped it off. Then I held Sara’s hand and together we walked up the steps and through the arched doorway.

I felt my throat closing up.

Seven months.

Seven months wasn’t that long, was it? Besides, Thanksgiving break was just around the corner. Six weeks, to be exact. I had already marked my calendar. I couldn’t wait. I would go through the motions, no need to make friends that I’d never see again. When you get close to people, you end up getting hurt.

A certified bookworm and ailurophile, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery. She lives amongst cats and books in Belgium, and is the author of the Cult of the Cat young adult fantasy series and the Retribution novella series for adults. 

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