Meet the girl where the sun shines bright
And she will save you from this destructive plight.
The enchantress’ chosen one will succeed
The sun will rise twice, and the imp will concede
To destroy the wheel, take on a disguise
Turn the wheel into gold before the sun begins to rise
FOR MORE INFORMATION on City of Gold, or to read the first chapter, visit eleanorsliteraryadventures.com
Acknowledgements
Thank you to everyone who has helped bring The Nightshade Forest to life. It was definitely an adventure of its own.
Eleanor would never have found a home on bookshelves if it wasn’t for the encouragement from my amazing husband, Mike. I had given up writing creatively until I mentioned in passing that I might want to start writing again. As soon as I said it, it was a sealed deal for him and he did everything he could to help me, even if it was just bringing me copious amounts of coffee. Between taking the kids out of the house so I could write, staying up to read my drafts when middle-grade fantasy with a female lead isn’t his type of book, and listening to my ideas for countless hours, he is the real MVP. He has been a constant source of raw encouragement in my life for everything, including my writing. Thanks babe.
My kiddos, Evelyn and Everett really helped me in the very beginning stages. When I printed my very first draft, Evelyn begged me to read it to her. She stayed up way passed her bedtime (mine too!) to listen to my story. She fell in love with it and had so many questions, which helped take the first draft into the second. Everett gave me so many ideas with his wild imagination and laid there listening to my words for hours as well.
I have to thank my mom for helping with this journey too. I went from not writing at all to writing a novel all in about a two-week span. She helped with the kids when I had a writing spree and encouraged me even though she knew nothing of what the process would entail. I told you I’d find a book you loved, I just had to write it first.
My family is also amazing, as they listened to my ramblings and excitement in every little step on this self-publishing journey. Just think, you’ll get to hear it all again for the next two books. Thank you for sitting me on your lap as a little girl and reading constantly to me, even if it was struggling over tongue twisters. I’m the reader I am today because of every single one of you.
I also have to go way back and thank my high school English teacher, Bonnie Wilgreen. Thank you for instilling a love for literature and writing in me. Two of my all-time favorite books are ones you handed to me in tenth grade and my senior year. Thank you for the extra hours you put in after school and during lunch periods to just talk about books and a possible writing career. Thank you for still hosting book clubs, because I get to have those types of conversations again. You’re still teaching me, after all these years.
Thank you to all of my beta readers and amazing editor, Jennifer Navarre, you helped bring this book to life and I am incredibly thankful for all of you.
My illustrator and cover artist are two of my favorite people right now. You were able to take my ramblings and horrible sketches and turn them into something truly incredible. You actually took pictures out of my head and put them onto paper.
And hey, Instagram community: wow. I never imagined such a writing community on social media could exist, but it does. I am so thankful for every one of you who posted, commented, encouraged, and challenged me (especially those 10k challenges, holy cow)
Lastly, thank you to my readers, and the parents of my readers. This is all created for you, and I’m so excited to share the next books with you too. I truly hope you enjoy your adventures with Eleanor and her friends along the way.
Nikki Mitchell is an author in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She’s a stay-at-home mom and lives with her husband Mike, children Evelyn and Everett, and three cats: Bellatrix, Usque, and Gandalf. She graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in English writing and has been freelancing for her local newspaper since 2013. She is a former co-owner of a small bookstore. She never leaves home without at least one book and a list of book recommendations in her purse. Her favorite authors include Ray Bradbury, J K Rowling, and Harper Lee. Two of her most prized possessions are an autographed copy of Fahrenheit 451, and a copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which she has treasured since eighth grade. She dreams to have a huge library of her own one day.
You can find Nikki on
Instagram: nikkimitchellauthorpage
Facebook: Nikki Mitchell author
or by visiting www.eleanorsliteraryadventures.com
DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE a letter from Eleanor or one of the main characters? With your parent’s help, head on over to the website, and fill out the contact form, requesting a letter. Be sure to specify which character you’d like to hear from!
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