First Line:
I think I found my killer.
Pages: 414
Publication Date: March 23, 2015
My favorite things about the book:
Michael as the MC outcast. Though the club is a brotherhood, as with all families, there are the quiet members who don't quite fit in and who may have siblings, but lack friends within the group. It's fun to watch him grow socially.
Holly's very sweet, unspoken strength. Strength comes in all forms, and she has her own variety.
The tone of the novel. This is some of my favorite prose and I continue to be really pleased with the pacing and energy. Some of my proudest work, right here. It's my favorite of this series.
Keeping Mercy and Ava's story going. I can't let them go, and it was fun to work their continued adventures into this book.
Ian. :)
Things you might not know:
The angel on the cover is an angel from the Confederate Cemetery in Marietta, GA.
Michael is modeled (loosely) after Rochester from Jane Eyre. Obviously, he isn't wealthy, or a lord, and is even less talkative. But my love of the character was a driving inspiration behind Michael's severely lacking social graces.
Holly's backstory. Completely gut-wrenching to write, and distressing to read during edits. But here's the thing about the level of detail in those flashbacks - it felt necessary. Because I had some sick enjoyment of being that descriptive? No, not at all. Far from it. But because too often terrible abuse is used as a plot device, and I think if you're going to talk about abuse in fiction, it needs to be real, raw, and make you uncomfortable, because that's how you celebrate the survivors, by acknowledging what they went through. By showing the past, and showing the present, I felt Holly's character was established in such bold strokes, in a way that honored her, and didn't lean on her abuse as a cheap plot device. Showing vs. Telling. Realistic vs. Manipulative.
I go back and forth, back and forth, but these two might be my favorite couple. They aren't the sorts of characters you'd like to be yourself; but for me, their love is warming and more romantic than most stories I write - you could almost call it a romance novel.
My favorite scene(s):
The first time he comes to her loft to see her, and they sit in the parlor of the house, him being all spooky.
When Michael "takes care" of Dewey. "Michael," she whispered. She didn't understand any of this; wasn't even sure what it was she wanted so badly. "Go downstairs and wait, honey. Just wait."
Wynn and Michael in the hospital, waiting for Holly to wake up - that uncle/nephew exchange. "Ah, son. I know it hurts. But it's worth it. She's worth it."
My favorite lines:
"'Beautiful' isn't a feminine word. I don't even think it's a human word. It isn't what something looks like; it's what something is."
"Congratulations. You just got a divorce."
"Her dragons are dead. And I think...I think if she wants to move on, and leave all this behind, I have to let her go."
"Can I give you a piece of advice? One f*cked-up a**hole to another?"
Last Line:
All those feathers, light, and soft, and hope-scented, lifting her to heaven.
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