by TJ Klune
To my beta readers, Lynn and Mia, who were the first to read this story: your input was invaluable, as always. You made The House in the Cerulean Sea something more than I expected it to be, and for that, you’ll always have my gratitude. I’m lucky to have you.
To my agent, Deidre Knight: you were and are a godsend. Remember when you contacted me after you read my book about wolves? I do. It was a life-changing experience, and you took me under your wing, pushing me beyond what I thought I was capable of. Because of your hard work on my behalf, this book and those to follow found a home with a publisher that gets me, that understands the importance of the queer experience. You are the bomb dot com, and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
To my editor, Ali Fisher: dude, I love you. I was so nervous when we spoke on the phone for the first time. I was out of my depth, and though Deidre was there to hold my hand, I was about to vibrate out of my skin. But you took my babbling in stride, and after we spoke, I knew there would be no better place for me to tell my stories than with you and Tor. Thank you for giving me one of the biggest thrills of my life. Your work on Cerulean made it the best story it could be, and I couldn’t ask for a better editor. We’re gonna knock this out of the park.
And to all the others:
Thank you to Tor for showing me that a publisher believes in telling honest, queer stories (by way of the Antichrist).
Thank you to Saraciea Fennell, my publicist, with support from Anneliese Merz and Lauren Levite, for pimping me out (in a good way).
Thank you to the art director, Peter Lutjen, and Red Nose Studio, for creating one of the most beautiful covers I have ever had. Seriously. When you’re done reading this, go look at it some more. It’s art.
In addition to Ali, the assistant editor, Kristin Temple, has made sure I didn’t go off the rails, which I’m wont to do. Thanks, Kristin.
Thank you to Melanie Sanders and Jim Kapp in production, the Macmillan sales team, the marketing team from Tor (Rebecca Yeager—you’re a freaking rock star), and the digital marketing team.
So, yes, while the writing of a novel is solitary and lonely, as you can see, I’m not alone. I have good people behind me. That’s something I will always be thankful for. They make me a better writer.
One more thing: to you, the reader. If you’ve made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the journey. Some of you might be new to me as an author. Others have been with me since the beginning. I cherish each and every one of you, because without you, I would have no one to tell my stories to. Thanks for allowing me to do what I love most.
TJ Klune
August 22, 2019
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award–winning author and a former claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.
Visit him online at www.tjklunebooks.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Instagram: @tjklunebooks
Twitter: @tjklune
Goodreads: T.J. Klune
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA
Copyright © 2020 by Travis Klune
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Red Nose Studio
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as followed:
Names: Klune, TJ, author.
Title: The house in the cerulean sea / TJ Klune.
Description: First edition. | New York: Tor, 2020. | “A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
Identifiers: LCCN 2019050452 | ISBN 9781250217288 (hardcover) ISBN 9781250217325 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Fantasy fiction. | Occult fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3611.L86 H68 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050452
eISBN 9781250217325
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: March 2020
