It’s like the Garden is being burned out of me with every line etched into my skin. A Flower on fire.
Piper pulls back, examining her work for a long moment before nodding.
“It’s beautiful,” Kyra says to her sister.
“You’re done,” Rayce says, leaning down to kiss the tip of my nose.
I smile at the delicate lines blossoming across my left arm, glowing just on top of the skin. It signifies that I’m now wholly part of something bigger than myself.
I am no longer just a Flower or a lost princess. Now, I am imbued with fire. A splash of sunlight falls onto the ground in front of me from a hole in the ceiling, stretching hundreds of feet underground to find me like a beacon of hope. But I turn away from it, because now I am my own hope—and with this oath, I make my own light.
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Acknowledgments
Writing acknowledgements has always been one of the most exciting and terrifying parts of the publishing process for me. I’m so thrilled to finally be thanking everyone who had a hand in making my book into the novel it has become but I’m also scared that I’ll forget someone. So if you are reading this and you don’t see your name here, please know that I am eternally grateful to you.
I’d like to thank my agent, Nikki Terpilowski, for her tireless work on my behalf. You were my first champion, and your guidance and steadfast belief in me as a writer have given me the confidence to persevere. I will never be able to fully express my gratitude.
To Lydia Sharp, editor extraordinaire. You took my novel and elevated it into something I could never even conceive when I first wrote it. Thank you so much for understanding my characters, believing in me, and the endless hours you put in to making my novel shine (and making sure Rayce doesn’t wink).
My gratitude to assistant editors Naomi Hughes, whose amazing input helped strengthen Rayce and Rose’s relationship, and Judi Weiss, whose feedback on my novel was invaluable.
To Crystal Havens and the rest of the team at Entangled Teen, thank you so much for believing in my story and your incredible effort to help my novel grow.
I would like to thank my high school teacher, Bernie Bleske, for spending his lunch breaks explaining to me how a plot works in detail and spending his nights reading the first chapter of a story I wrote over and over. Thank you to my other teacher, Gary Miller, for instilling in me the importance of perseverance, especially when you don’t first succeed.
Before my book was cultivated, there were several people who waded through its thorns and gave me vital feedback. To all the beta readers of my book, Andi, Kassidy, Jackie, Annie, Joanne, and any others along the way, thank you! Also, to Katie, I can’t begin to express my gratitude for helping me navigate the world of publication. We met as bloggers and you have been there through every step of the publishing process. You are the best!
I’d like to extend my warmest thanks to my dad and stepmother for encouraging me to pursue my passions. And a huge thank you to my mom for being there for me no matter what. I may not be able to say “my mother loves my book” (yet), but without your love and support, this book would have never been made.
I can’t imagine my life without my group of friends who reminded me that magic can exist outside the pages of a book or computer screen if I just take the time to look up (and roll). A huge thanks to Rebecca, Zach, Erica, Chad, Mindy, and in memory of Jon. All of you are so dear to me and I want to thank each of you for your encouragement and creativity. Some of you are wrestling with creative pursuits of your own and to that, I say, reach for the stars, the fall is scary but the view from above is worth the risk.
To Ashley, who I’ve been whispering stories back and forth to since we were old enough to talk. I have no doubt that without your excitement, nourishment, and hours spent talking about my confusing new ideas, I would have never made it this far. I’d like to thank you but there aren’t enough ways in the world to repay you for your love.
Finally, to my husband, Brian, who has worked hard so that I can accomplish my dreams. Your willingness to believe in me when I couldn’t find the will to believe in myself, the endless nights you’ve stayed up helping me figuring out how magic could work scientifically, and the love and support you’ve shown me since we were young adults, ourselves, has made this all possible. Thank you for showing me that love is real and can truly make you whole.
And to you, the readers and bloggers, who have taken the time to sit down and read this book that I’ve poured my love in to. As a reader myself, I know the time and effort it takes to commit to a book and I can’t thank you enough for spending your precious time on me.
About the Author
Amber Mitchell graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Creative Writing. When she isn’t putting words on paper, she is using cut sheets of cardstock to craft artwork or exploring new places with her husband Brian. They live a small town in Florida with their four cats where she is still waiting for a madman in a blue box to show up on her doorstep.
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a Going Down in Flames novel by Chris Cannon
Being a shape-shifting dragon has its perks, but being forced into an arranged marriage isn’t one of them. If Bryn McKenna doesn’t say “I do,” she’ll lose everything. Good-bye flying. Good-bye best friends. Good-bye magic. But if she bends to her grandparents’ will and agrees to marry Jaxon Westgate she’ll lose the love of her life—her knight.
BEFORE TOMORROW
a Forget Tomorrow novella by Pintip Dunn
In a world where all seventeen-year-olds receive a memory from their future selves, Logan Russell’s vision is exactly as he expects—and exactly not. Soon enough, he learns that his old friend Callie is in trouble. She’s received an atypical memory, one where she commits a crime in the future. According to the law, she must be imprisoned, even though she’s done nothing wrong. Now, Logan must decide if he’ll give up his future as a gold-star swimmer and rescue the literal girl of his dreams. All he’ll have to do is defy Fate.
GRETA AND THE LOST ARMY
a Mylena Chronicles novel by Chloe Jacobs
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LIVE AND LET PSI
a Psi Fighter Academy novel by D.R. Rosensteel
Rinnie Noelle would rather kick butt than go on a date. As a Psi Fighter, she can’t be distracted by emotion. Her nemesis, Nicolaitin, is manipulating students to carry out his new evil plan. People’s lives are depending on Rinnie’s ultimate focus. But Mason Draudimon keeps slicing into her mind sharper than a Thought Saber. He insists on helping Rinnie take down Nicolaitan, and the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous the dance between logic and love.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Acknowledgments
About the Author
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Fanning the Flames
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Garden of Thorns Page 33
