GUESTOPIA: SPECIAL GUESTS!

Hey lovely YAtopians! Welcome back to Guestopia. I have some super special guests for March, so you’ll notice that the format is a wee different than usual. I am a bit excited about today’s guests. I have interviewed them before and never get tired of their enthusiasm for life, not to mention books! So, let’s get started. Please welcome the crew of…

LOVE AT FIRST CHAPTER

This group of fabulously talented YA writers were all selected in Round 3 of Author Mentor Match and became fast friends during that time. Books make them happy and sharing that love makes them happier! 

They are:

Gracie Goldhart

Louisa Onomé

Julie Abe

Kate Havas

Dakota Shain Byrd

Erika L. Cruz

Heidi Christopher

Emily Beck

Lorna Riley

Michelle Fohlin

Katherine Pisana

Susan Lee

Find out more about each of them right here… www.loveatfirstchapter.com

Right, introductions done, let's get going with the interview! 

Thanks for joining me today, Love at First Chapter! I’m thrilled to host you. So, for the new readers who haven’t heard of your fabulousness, tell me first up what exactly is Love at First Chapter. 

Love At First Chapter is a biweekly young adult fiction newsletter that introduces the first chapter of an upcoming or new release to subscribers. With each newsletter, subscribers can “fall in love” with the book and either purchase or preorder it at the end of the email. It’s a fun reader resource that allows a wider audience to sample new, diverse releases -- and introduces authors to more engaged readers who are likely to be interested in their book. A win-win for everyone involved!

You guys are all YA writers and met during Author Mentor Match. But how did you go from not knowing each other to setting up this amazing new service for YA book lovers?

Amidst talk of revisions and drafts, Graci Goldhart, our founder, introduced the idea as a fun way to promote upcoming YA releases we’re excited for. The rest happened pretty quickly after that. We set up the website, assigned roles, came up with a list of our most anticipated releases, and prepared for our Valentine’s Day launch.

What’s different about the reader service you’re providing?

All the books selected for Love At First Chapter have been recommended by one of our curators. That means we’ve read and can vouch for the book, have enjoyed it, and want to share it with others. We like to think of it as an unconventional book club of sorts: recommending books and building a community based on readership.

Why should readers sign up?

We’re unlike any other YA newsletter or book service -- it’s 100% free to sign up (and will remain that way!) and you get a surprise first chapter of a new or upcoming YA release straight to your inbox. Like the chapter? Purchase or preorder through links in the newsletter. Don’t like the chapter? Feel free to delete the email. It’s pressure-free and only aims to spread our love of books.

Why YA books?

Young adult fiction centers around, and is catered to, young people, who arguably are going through one of the most dynamic times in their lives. They are forming opinions about their environment and themselves, and using those opinions to create their world. We believe a greater sense of diversity in YA fiction is necessary -- to allow young people to dream bigger, to create a greater sense of acceptance amongst YA readers, to create the kind of world that doesn’t just tolerate, but accepts every kind of person. YA is such a transformative readership because of its reach. As YA (and MG) writers ourselves, we want to see more diverse works and debuts, and wanted the chance to introduce reads we feel can make a difference. 

Will you offer other services on the site in the future?

Though our focus currently lies with curating YA releases, we’d love to eventually create a community where readers can connect with one another. Watch this space! 

Will you share only standalone novels, or do you intend to share books within a series too?

We are open to sharing both. If the first book in a series is highly anticipated and we’re also really excited for it, then we’d love to feature it!

Will it be only novels, or will you share anthologies or perhaps novellas as well?

As of now, we’re focused on sharing YA novels, but may open to anthologies in the future. There are so many good ones coming out lately!

Will you share only traditionally published books or indie and self published as well?

We focus on traditionally published books.

Will you only share already published books or forthcoming titles too?

Some books we share are new releases that may have just come out within the past six months to a year, but our goal is to share more forthcoming titles to help authors build hype -- and hopefully boost preorders!

Will you only share diverse books? What if you accidentally get a chapter for a book that turns out to be problematic, like THE CONTINENT?

We aim to boost diverse voices, so a majority of the books we share will be diverse or #ownvoices. We read ARCs for each book we recommend in hopes we never end up recommending a book like THE CONTINENT. As writers, our names are on this project and we want to maintain a level of integrity when curating.

Why diverse books?

Why not diverse books? We live in a diverse world. Media should always reflect that. Seeing yourself in a book for the very first time is a life-changing moment because you realize you can be the hero too.

Michelle: As a history and geography nerd, I have always been drawn to the diversity of cultures in our world. I have always sought out books with rich worlds and characters that don’t necessarily reflect my own identity. And there are millions of kids who deserve to see their experiences in their words they read. It’s life-changing when you realize that someone who looks, sounds, loves, acts like you is a hero too.

Do you have any diversity that you identify with?

Shain: Yes. To start with, I’m queer as all get out. Physically only into guys, but I’m Bi-romantic, and gender-fluid. Beyond that I’m epileptic, and live with clinical depression, severe anxiety, and ADHD.

Louisa: Nigerian-Canadian, first gen! Also being from Montreal and not speaking any French (this is a Canadian joke, sorry!) 

Graci: I’m a proud Kowi (Korean-Kiwi), 1.5 gen, and visually impaired. Oh, and I live in Middle Earth (only partially kidding - New Zealand is basically Hobbitland)

What are your day jobs? If you’re in school, what’re you studying? Anybody doing an internship or other program like that?

Shain: I’m an American Sign Language Interpretation student in Fort Worth. Regarding internships, I have one with Entangled Teen. When I’m not studying or doing things for my internship or AMM mentorship, I also work as a freelance editor. Be sure to check out my website if you’re interested in learning more about all this!

Lisa: I work for the school district in the High school Library. I manage the circulation desk for both books and computers. I love it. I get to talk about books with students and it’s so great to connect with them over stories we’ve both read. I’ve also run into some fellow writers as well.

Julie Abe: During the day, I work in digital marketing for a healthcare company. At night, I write middle grade and young adult stories.

Louisa: I’m a SEO consultant during the day.

Heidi: I’m an editor with a small publishing house and when I’m not working on client material, i’m writing YA. 

Graci: I’m a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service by day. 

Michelle: I currently make my unpaid living caring for my two precocious, adorable littles. But I’ve put in years as a history teacher, which is where I draw my ideas for my books from.

OMG. Aren’t they the best? And, obviously, if you haven’t already signed up to their newsletter (the next one is coming out THIS WEEK!) then I have no doubt you’re rushing off to do that right now. J If you need me to make this even easier for you...  

CLICK HERE NOW

Thank you, gang, it’s been a pleasure!

GUESTOPIA: YA Author Amber Elby

Today, we’re lucky enough to get a fascinating look into the writing world of a new and exciting YA author! You will love this!

AMBER ELBY

Amber Elby was born in Grand Ledge, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom. She began writing when she was three years old and created miniature books by asking her family how to spell every, single, word. Several years later, she saw her first Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, in London. Many years later, she studied Creative Writing at Michigan State University’s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and two daughters and spends her time teaching, traveling, and getting lost in imaginary worlds.  

Is this your first published book? 

Yes, but I’ve had short films produced and also published a handful of poems. 

What’s it called?

Cauldron’s Bubble

Which genre?

I call it Shakespearean fan-fiction fantasy for young adults. It takes place within the fiction of Shakespeare’s plays but is written in a fast-paced, modern style that appeals to most YA fans. It also contains magic and time travel and such, hence the fantasy aspect.

Which age group?

Cauldron’s Bubble is intended for young people who are about to begin studying Shakespeare’s plays in school, but most of their parents read and enjoy it, too. My youngest fan that I know is eight years old, and my oldest fan is past eighty. 

Is it a series or standalone?

It is the first in a series called the Netherfeld Trilogy. The second book, Double, Double Toil, will be released later this year (date TBA), and the final book, Trouble Fires Burn, will come out in 2019. 

Are you an agented author?

Not yet, but I emailed my first query letter a week or so ago. I received distribution help from my publisher and only realized that I needed an agent when I started looking into international sales. 

Which publisher snapped up your book?

Verdopolis Press of Austin, Texas. 

How involved have you been in the whole publishing process of your book?

I was, thankfully, incredibly involved with the publication. I worked closely with my cover artist, Brandi Harrison of TypeJar Studio, to create the front and back covers. I even got to choose the font for the book. I wanted an artistic say in this project because I learned from screenwriting how it feels to have someone else take control of your writing, which is why I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go with a smaller press who would let me retain creative control. 

Do you have another job?

Yes, I teach rhetorical writing and British literature at a local community college. I write under a pen name, so my students generally don’t know that I am a published author. 

Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

The stars were actually aligned for Cauldron’s Bubble, so I worked with Verdopolis Press from relatively early in the process with the clear intent to publish with them. I actually didn’t submit the manuscript elsewhere. 

What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

I used to teach ninth grade English at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. This was many years ago, back when the Percy Jackson series first exploded into popular culture. My students had to read The Odyssey, Beowulf, and Macbeth for the class, and they could all relate to The Odyssey because they had read Percy Jackson for pleasure. They had read Grendel the previous year in school, so they were prepared for Beowulf, but they had no prior experience to help them understand Shakespeare. I realized that there needed to be a bridge text that could help students relate to plays like Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest, so that is how Cauldron’s Bubble was first conceived. Actually prior to this, starting when I was in middle or high school, I always wondered what Macbeth’s witches did offstage, how Hamlet escaped from the pirates on his way to England, and what happened on Prospero’s island before the play actually begins, so many of the novel’s elements have been in my mind since I was a teenager.  

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

I thought about Cauldron’s Bubble for about ten years before I started writing what would become the first draft. During that time, I reread and taught many of Shakespeare’s plays, and I wrote extensive notes containing my ideas that I emailed to myself (so I could easily find them later), but I had major life events like births and deaths and building my home that prevented me from focusing on writing. I knew my title at the very beginning of the process, but I didn’t develop the protagonists, Alda and Dreng, until about two years before publication. Once I wrote the first chapter, my notes allowed me to complete the novel relatively quickly. I have some regret for not starting sooner, but I’m not sure I could have written it without everything that happened in the years between inspiration and writing.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?

I practice world-building when I write, so I almost feel like I observe the events of the novel rather than create them because I am so imbedded in the fiction. I call this “going down the rabbit hole.” I knew where I was going when I wrote, or at least I thought I did, but the characters seemed to go on their own adventures, so my ideas had the potential to change seemingly without my control.

How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?

By the end, I wrote about seventy drafts, but I know that other writers would not count each of these revisions as a draft because they were not all complete page-one rewrites, even though I did make significant changes to at least part of the novel each time. I’m not sure when I let my husband first read it, but I believe I was about halfway through the process before I let him read only the first chapter. I hesitated to share it because it is part of a new fantasy world, and I knew that anyone who read an early, incomplete version would have too many questions and just be confused. I also kept my writing secret from most of my friends and all of my extended family because I was afraid that something would go wrong with publication, so I didn’t tell my mother about it until I handed her a printed copy. 

Did you employ an editor/proofreader or did you have a critique partner/beta readers before you started querying?

I had many readers outside of my publisher. I am lucky to have educated and talented friends who have degrees and backgrounds in creative writing and English, so I called in some favours and got people to read my early full drafts with no pay. I thanked all of them in my acknowledgements, but that doesn’t seem adequate for the time that they gave me, so thanks again, everyone, for all of your help. 

Roughly how many drafts did it take before you sent the manuscript off into the real world?

As I said, I wrote about seventy drafts. I revised as I went, too, so the first draft probably had nearly that many revisions before it was complete. Again, these were not page-one rewrites. Each rewrite fixed a specific problem within the draft or added a new subplot or expanded several scenes or rewrote the dialogue. I know that other writers would probably count this as fewer drafts, but I have over seventy different versions saved on my computer. 

How many drafts until it was published?

Revision was all one long process, and I don’t really know where pre-publisher revisions ended and publisher revisions began. I have many scribbled-on manuscripts on my shelf, and I don’t even know how many times each one was reviewed or in which order they were revised. I think that “many” is a good answer for this question.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

Yes, of course. The first chapter was significantly longer in the first draft, and it was incredibly wordy. I also wrote part of the first draft as I was reading Frankenstein, and I had to throw out those chapters and completely rewrite them because I became overly verbose and archaic (see, I used big words again just thinking about it). I don’t want to say I’m embarrassed by my first draft, but, well…

Are there any parts you’d like to change even now?

I’m actually scared to read the printed copy because I know I will find things to change! I don’t understand how people actually “finish” writing. I know that if left to my own devices, I would release about ten different editions with minor changes to things that no one else even noticed.

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

I was about to jokingly say typing, but then I accidentally hit the equal sign in the middle: typ=ing. If “easiest” means “the part that you feel the most confident about,” then I suppose that the dialogue comes the most naturally because I studied it for so long when I wrote screenplays. Tomorrow I might say that characterization is easiest, or plotting, or conflict, so it probably just depends on the scene and my mood.

What part do you find hardest?

Physical exhaustion. Really, writing is taxing on me. I lose time when I write, so I think things like, “It’s almost noon. I should stop and eat lunch.” Then it’s suddenly 2:00, and I’m faint with hunger. I also have severe and vivid nightmares when I am in the depths of writing; sometimes these help with ideas, but they are often about things that are “off-stage” in my work, so I usually cannot include them directly. 

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

I push through. If I need a little break, I either take a shower, nap briefly, or pet my cat. I have a writing cat who sits next to me when I work (he’s at my feet right now), and I highly suggest the adoption of a similar companion for anyone who needs writing support. 

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

I can work on many different projects, but I have trouble writing more than one work of prose-fiction at a time. At the moment, I’m working on a scholarly/research project, writing a travel blog under a different pen name, and working on the sequel to Cauldron’s Bubble. I’ve also been outlining several other novels, but they are essentially on a shelf until I finish the Netherfeld Trilogy. 

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

I teach college students how to write, so I know it can be learned. It might be easier for some people to learn, but I always tell my students that everyone is capable of earning an A. Everyone can write well, too, but some have to study longer and work harder than others.  You also have to be humble when you write and take criticism because that is the only way to improve.

How many future novels do you have planned?

I have at least four novels that are seriously under construction, but I plan to write until I die, so I’ll say “many.”

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

Yes, I write a travel blog under a different pen name (I keep my identities separate for professional purposes), and I have also written many screenplays and have a MFA in screenwriting. When I was an undergraduate, I wrote poetry and studied under a successful Beat poet, but she told me to go into fiction writing because I had “too many characters in my head.” 

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

My fourth grade daughter did a book report and project about Cauldron’s Bubble. She was not allowed to ask me questions because she had to interpret the book herself, but she did a great job visualizing the story and created a poster collage of the different settings. I keep it in my office. 

Give me one writing tip that works for you.

I always try to give an unusual answer for this question: one of my screenwriting professors told us to create a soundtrack to play when we write that includes “theme songs” for the characters. I was reluctant to do this at first, but now I think that it does help. 

And one that doesn't.

I knew a lot of aspiring writers in college who felt like they had to drink or do drugs to write well; a classmate even told me that it was impossible for anyone to write sober. I want every young person reading this to know that such an outlook is not true. The most successful writers I know are clean and sober (of course there are famous, mostly dead, writers who were otherwise). I have never done any illegal drug, and I don’t drink when I write. Trust your imagination, and it will guide you without any stimulus. 

Can you give us a clue or secret about the next book?

My protagonists enter the world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but my fairies are much more terrifying than they are usually portrayed on stage. Ophelia is also introduced as a character in the next book, so she actually gets her own voice instead of being subjugated by male characters. 

What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be?

“If you could write for any other series, which one would you choose?”

My response a year ago would have been the long-cancelled television series Veronica Mars because of my background in screenwriting, but my nine-year-old daughter recently became obsessed with a middle-grade book series called Tales from the Haunted Mansion from Disney Press. I would love to contribute to that series, especially because it has the potential for 999 books, one for each ghost in the Haunted Mansion attraction, so I could remain in that imaginary world for a long time. 

Told you. How cool is Amber? Thank you so much for joining us today, Amber, and we wish you all the success with this and every book that follows.

If you would like to catch up with Amber, learn more about her writing, or purchase a copy of Cauldron’s Bubble, then these links might help!

Website

Twitter

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon Australia

Goodreads

Guestopia: Rebecca Carpenter

Today, on Guestopia (yes, we've changed the date this month!), we are delighted to welcome author Rebecca Carpenter to YAtopia! Here's a little bit about Rebecca...

Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and four awesome grandchildren. She owns and runs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

And let's commence with the interview!

Is this your first published book?

It’s the first one traditionally published. I self-published a memoir about my teen pregnancy in 2012 called, The Total Deconstruction of Chloe Wilson.

What’s it called?

Butterfly Bones

Which genre?

Contemporary soft science fiction. I use soft because it’s character driven with bits of sci-fi.

Which age group?

Young adult

Is it a series or standalone?

It’s the first in the Metamorphosis Series.

Are you an agented author?

No. I submitted to Lakewater Press, and they don’t require an agent.

Which publisher snapped up your book?

The amazing Lakewater Press.

How involved have you been in the whole publishing process of your book?

I have been involved in every choice made for Butterfly Bones. The team at Lakewater want it to be a positive experience and they do a great job of making the author feel important.

Do you have another job?

I own a run a large childcare center/preschool in Grand Junction, Colorado. A typical work week is at least 60 hours. And I work part time as a copy editor.

Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

I had made the mistake of entering contests early on, before the book was ready. So yes, I’ve had a few rejections. But they were right in doing so.

What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

I was listening to a song called, ‘Caterpillar’ by The Cure. It sparked the initial story ideas, although in my mind it played out as a horror story about a girl becoming a powerful creature and taking revenge on the bullies from school.

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

This project started so long ago, that I don’t’ remember how much time I spent. Generally I take about a couple of days to plot.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?

I had to do a lot of wrestling, but it was the other way around. Bethany didn’t want to star in a horror novel. She had other things in mind. Once I listened to her wants and goals, the story flowed beautifully.

How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?

My critique group was reading it while I was writing it. I would finish a chapter and bring it to the next meeting.

Did you employ an editor/proofreader or did you have a critique partner/beta readers before you started querying?

I had critique and BETA readers. This was over a couple of years in the making.

Roughly how many drafts did it take before you sent the manuscript off into the real world?

I’m thinking it was four. Mainly the beginning kept changing.

How many drafts until it was published?

Two. Very. Painful. Drafts. But all worth it in the end.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

It’s the same storyline, but I needed to add more description as well as keep the theme of the story woven throughout each chapter.

Are there any parts you’d like to change even now?

Nothing I’d change. I love it the way it is.

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

Dialogue. It flows naturally for me. And humor.

What part do you find hardest?

Narrative. Keeping the right balance between what needs to be told, in the character’s voice, as well weaving in bits of backstory can be challenging.

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

I barrel through them. Don’t have time to let them stop me.

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

Too many. Usually three or four books at once, and sometimes a screenplay in there as well.

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

Both. Some people have a gift. But anyone can learn the craft if they’re willing.

How many future novels do you have planned?

Two more at the time for the Metamorphosis Series. But many more to come.

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

I write picture books, middle grade, and screenplays.

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

Just seeing your sweat and blood out there in the world. And the great reviews. Those are awesome.

Give me one writing tip that works for you.

Just sit down and write. Let it flow. Edit later.

And one that doesn't.

I don’t know of anything that doesn’t work except for not writing.

Can you give us a clue or secret about the next book?

It’s told in multi POV.

What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be?  

Maybe why I chose to write a young adult book. Especially since I work with children and spend my days immersed in picture books. I love all books. For all ages. But young adult has a special place in my heart. Figuring out who we are. First love. First kiss. First heartbreak. Relationships with peers. The whole self-esteem roller coaster that teens go through. Puberty. This time period intrigues me where there is so much inner and outer growth, so many irrational choices, experimentation, and a taste of adulthood. It’s a difficult transitionary time—one in which we all have the privilege of experiencing—good or bad. Or maybe it’s good and bad. And that’s what I want to write about—the crazy, scary, funny, sad, wonderful, horrible experiences of a teenager.



Fabulous! Thank you so much for joining us today, Rebecca. Lakewater Press are currently offering a pretty awesome contest if you purchase a copy of Butterfly Bones in December. Send them proof of purchase and they'll enter you in the draw to win a Kindle! Wow! Here are a few links that might help!

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com.au
Barnes & Noble

And if you want to follow Rebecca, these links might help too!

Website
Twitter

Writing Representation by Calista Lynne

Today I'm delighted to hand over the blog to YA author Calista Lynne, whose brand new book WE AWAKEN just released from Harmony Ink Press!

Writing Representation

by Calista Lynne

People fear the unknown. Maybe that’s why there’s an odd amount of stigma

surrounding asexuality. This sexuality is so underrepresented in the media that a lot of people

don’t even know it exists, or if it’s brought up the response is some sort of joke about the

Whenever asexuals are represented it’s usually in a narrative where they can be “cured”

in the end. This is extremely invalidating for young people who might already feel broken. They

need positive examples to aspire to but I have yet to see a story where an ace character, let

alone one in a f/f relationship, gets a happy ending. So that’s what I wrote.

My novel is about two female asexuals in a same sex relationship. It is young adult

magical realism and has all the cheesiness and joy you could hope for from a romance in that

genre. Although there has been a good number of books recently with gay boys getting happy

endings, heterosexuals are generally the ones who ride off into the sunset at the end. How are

people supposed to expect that they can hope for something more than tragedy when there

aren’t any examples of it? Representation matters and poor representation can be toxic as well.

Take the sheer amount of lesbians who are killed off on television for example.

My recommendation for you is to create the representation you wish to see in the

world. 

Don’t worry if the story doesn’t seem marketable because people will come around and if

you’re passionate, the world can see that. If someone isn’t the first to do it then no one can

follow in their footsteps and there will never be positive role models. Just also keep in mind that

there will be haters, or at least people who don’t understand. For example, my father keeps

saying that I write about alternative sexualities. Except being ace isn’t alternative. It’s not an

edgy choice or a type of music it is literally just a sexuality like all the rest. Not to mention there

are people who won’t get it because they don’t want to. Whenever someone leaves a review

explaining how they believe asexuality to be a choice and not one they agree with, I contradict

them by selling more copies to people who will understand and appreciate the validation.

My goal is to one day see books about marginalized groups not being viewed as niche

writing or alternative, but instead just as books like all the rest.

And if my novel about ladies loving ladies sounds of interest to you, here’s the synopsis:

Victoria Dinham doesn’t have much left to look forward to. Since her father died in a car

accident, she lives only to fulfill her dream of being accepted into the Manhattan Dance

Conservatory. But soon she finds another reason to look forward to dreams when she

encounters an otherworldly girl named Ashlinn, who bears a message from Victoria’s comatose

brother. Ashlinn is tasked with conjuring pleasant dreams for humans, and through the course of

their nightly meetings in Victoria’s mind, the two become close. Ashlinn also helps Victoria

understand asexuality and realize that she, too, is asexual.

But then Victoria needs Ashlinn’s aid outside the realm of dreams, and Ashlinn assumes

human form to help Victoria make it to her dance audition. They take the opportunity to explore

New York City, their feelings for each other, and the nature of their shared asexuality. But like

any dream, it’s too good to last. Ashlinn must shrug off her human guise and resume her duties

creating pleasant nighttime visions—or all of humanity will pay the price.

~Suzanne~