Knife. Bloody hands. Blue-green eyes.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head to erase the images.
Chay put his thumb under my chin and tilted my face to his. “Everything okay?”
I smiled. “Yeah, it’s great. I’ll go change.”
I hurried upstairs, fighting the vision I could feel pushing its way into my consciousness. My head throbbed, my stomach felt as though it was in a vice. I made my way to my bed and sat on the edge, my arms wrapped around my knees. I squeezed my eyes closed and waited for the vision to show me what it needed me to see.
Blood. Knife. Blue-green eyes.
And then I heard it:
“I’m coming to finish what Azazel started, Milayna…”
Angel: Natasha Bedingfield Unwritten: Natasha Bedingfield On the way Down: Ryan Cabrera Higher: Creed One last breath: Creed Collide: Howie Day Notorious:Duran Duran Sweet Sacrifice: Evanescence Whisper: Evanescence Be Still: The Fray Like You’ll Never See Me Again: Alicia Keys I’d Come for You: Nickelback If Everyone Cared: Nickelback Why Don’t You and I: Santana and Alex Band Fall for You: Secondhand Serenade Everything Has Changed: Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran
While the idea for a story may come from one mind, the resulting book comes from many hands. Several people deserve my thanks and appreciation for the development of Milayna, and I know I will surely forget someone. So if that someone happens to be you, trust me, you have a special place not only in this book, but in my heart.
First to my husband, your never-ending support and encouragement are priceless to me. There are many days I question, “Why, just why?” You are always there to answer, “Because you are meant to.” I have it in writing, Larry. And you know words are eternal, as is my love.
To my family, I know there are times you get sick to death of only seeing the top of my head peeking over my laptop lid. But I also know that even in your frustration, you support me. I see it in the monster drawings and story ideas Evan gives me. I hear it every time one of my twins, Aleigha or Alana, tell someone their mom is an author. I know it because only a family that loves me would listen to my never-ending ‘what-if-I-wrote-it-this-way’ questions. I love you all.
To the staff at Clean Teen Publishing… what’s there to say? You are amazeballs. Thank you for making me part of your family. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. You are all “Rockstars,” and I thank God for you every day.
Anna Masrud, thank you for all your tireless work, under ridiculous deadlines, always with the most positive, encouraging attitude. I’d work with you again in a second.
Bloggers, reviewers, and the online writing community as a whole—authors would be nowhere without you. Technology opened a door to a new way of marketing our books, but you pushed us through. Your work spreading the word about the books you love is priceless, and appreciated by me, and all authors. A simple thank you doesn’t seem near enough for what you do.
Finally, to the people who have spent their time reading my story. I never can seem to find the right words to express the amount of thankfulness and appreciation I have for you. Thank you for spending time with me and my crazy mind and the people who live there. There are so many books to choose from, and I am very honored and humbled that you chose to spend your time with mine.
I hope to see you for the second book in the trilogy, “Milayna’s Angel.” Azazel won’t join us, but someone meaner and sneakier will enter Milayna’s life, and will stop at nothing, and use anyone, in attempt to finish what Azazel started!
If I possess one molecule of talent it is from Him and it is to Him I give glory,
~Michelle
Author’s Note: Nothing in this book is religiously or biblically based and should not be taken as such. This is a work of fiction, meant for entertainment purposes only. If you have religious questions, I encourage you to speak with your clergy member, or visit www.crossview.net.
If asked, Michelle will tell you she is a wife, mother, author, reader, and M&M connoisseur, especially peanut butter, which she eats way too many of while she writes. Red Bull or Monster Khaos are her coffee of choice, she has an abnormal obsession with hoodies and can’t write without one, and hates to cook, but loves to watch cooking shows. Michelle is a hopeful romantic who loves a swoon-worthy ending that gives her butterflies for days, and books that keep her thinking of them long after she’s turned the last page.
Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, she now lives in a sleepy suburb of Houston, Texas with her extremely supportive husband, four amazing children, a 125-pound rescued “lap dog,” and two crazy rescued cats.
Michelle writes across genres in the young adult and new adult age groups and loves to hear from readers, bloggers and other authors!