9 Ways Cozy Mysteries Differ from Traditional Mysteries - Guest Post

For over a year now, I have been reading a sub-genre of mystery called cozy. I came across the genre while checking out book tours and Lori's Great Escapes introduced me to this fun branch of mystery.

While I have noticed some aspects about cozies, I couldn’t quite pinpoint them if a reader asked me what they were. Seeing as I was unaware of the genre before, I started searching and asking around about who writes Cozy in my mother tongue Arabic. And Surprise! We do not have the genre altogether in Arabic literature.

However, reading about cozies, I discovered that the founder of the genre is a well-read author in almost every language in the world. Agatha Christie! I had read her books in English, but they are widely translated into Arabic (I think all her books have been translated), which means Arabic-language readers have been introduced to the Cozy genre, although unknowingly.

My research has also shown that a story called "The Three Apples", narrated by Scheherazade in the One Thousand and One Nights, can be considered a cozy mystery.

Joining me today is mystery and cozy mystery author Kirsten Weiss, who will explain the differences between crime fiction and cozy mystery.

What is a Cozy mystery?

By: Kirsten Weiss

“I say, Jeeves, there’s a body in the library!”

“Yes, m’lord. Shall I tell cook there will be one less for dinner?”

The above dialog is not from Agatha Christie – it’s an over-the-top cliché, but one which Christie bears some responsibility for. She created the cozy mystery genre. Her Miss Marple series, set in small English towns and villages, takes a gentler, more whimsical approach to the detective novel. Unlike gritty, fast-paced crime dramas, cozy mysteries are softer and slower – the focus is on people, place and puzzle. A reader can relax into the story world, secure in the knowledge that by the end of the novel, justice will be done.

As someone who writes cozies, I’ve given a lot of thought to what makes up the genre today. If the book you’re reading can tick most the nine boxes below, you may have a cozy mystery on your hands.

1) The violence happens off the page. The hero may stumble across a stabbing victim, but there won’t be any detailed descriptions of the gore, and we won’t “see” the victim’s murder. The tension in a cozy comes from the relationships and the puzzle, not from scenes of violence.

2) The hero or heroine is an amateur detective. This is the prime element differentiating the cozy from other types of mystery novels. The hero isn’t a hardboiled Private Investigator. She doesn't have access to DNA or fingerprints or the right to question suspects. Instead, the hero must rely on knowledge of the people involved and his or her ability to unearth the small town secrets that led to the murder.

3) Cozies are set in small towns, where people know each other. Readers are invited to take a virtual trip and immerse themselves in these charming, slower-paced fictional worlds.

4) The town is almost always populated by quirky characters, and these characters often have multiple jobs. In my book, The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, for example, there’s a lawyer who moonlights as a taxidermist and a contractor who secretly runs a bookie agency.

5) Often a key character is a pet. And the animal can’t just be window-dressing, it has to be involved somehow in the story. An animal on the cover is a big hint you’ve just picked up a cozy.

6) Paranormal is optional. Paranormal can be an element in cozy mysteries, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say the majority of cozies do not truck in the supernatural. However, if there is a haunt involved, it’s likely a subplot. In a cozy, the murderer will always be a live human, with real-world means, motive, and opportunity. Maybe the butler did it, but a ghost never did.

7) No sex. This rule is starting to be bent, and indie authors like Jenna Bennett are leading the way. But usually, sex is treated by cozy writers the same way violence is – off the page.

8) Cozies tend to have strong subplots, usually combining a romantic subplot plus a secondary, often humorous, subplot. This gives the reader more opportunity to explore the world of the book and get to know the characters.

9) The hero/heroine cannot have a white collar job. Small business owners seem to be popular as heroes.

While Christie’s Miss Marple series easily fits the cozy bill, her Hercule Poirot mysteries would violate several of these rules today. He’s a private detective and often works in London. And heaven forbid a cat darken the door to Hercule’s pristine flat. But the Hercule Poirot stories still have a cozy “feel.” The violence is off the page, and the hero, Hercule Poirot, is quirky enough to provide his own comic relief. But no matter how you define her books, Agatha Christie made the cozy mystery genre, and the world of mystery writing is the better for it!

About the Author

Kirsten Weiss worked overseas for nearly twenty years in the fringes of the former USSR, Africa, and South-east Asia.  Her experiences abroad sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending steampunk suspense, urban fantasy, and mystery, mixing her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem.

 

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. Sign up for her newsletter to get free updates on her latest work at: http://kirstenweiss.com


Connect with the author via Twitter, and her website.

Check out Nadaness In Motion's book review Weiss' The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum here.

Takhayyal #writing prompt 40: Dragon Soul

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

Dragon Soul by RavenMorgoth - Picture found on Pinterest.

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·    Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Not Quite Sheer Happiness by Melissa Baldwin - Book blast & Giveaway

Not Quite Sheer Happiness by Melissa Baldwin

Sienna Harris is back and appears to be on top of the world! Her company, Sheer Happiness Events, is booming, but personally she’s a mess. She never imagined that with amazing success would come tremendous pressure. Although her professional life seems in disarray at times, her relationship with the dashing Ace Eckelund is finally progressing.

Friendships are tested and so is her relationship when—once again—the past collides with the present. Sienna begins to question everything in her life and wonders if she should throw out her desire for constant certainty and live life on the edge for once. But, will she be able to change the person she has always been for who she wants to become?

Find out in this captivating third installment of The Event to Remember series.

Praise for Not Quite Sheer Happiness

I absolutely loved the book from start to finish and I was extremely gutted that it ended because of its sheer brilliance. Melissa Baldwin is a truly talented writer and I regret not finding her books sooner. Not Quite Sheer Happiness is a hug in a book. A feel good, relatable and loving story that will make you want more, because I definitely do. Amazing book, definitely sheer happiness.

I laughed, I swooned, I shook my head, and I loved every moment. A great read!

The plot moved at a good pace and at times I didn't want to stop reading. It was interesting to have a main character who has insecurities. I thought Melissa Baldwin wrote this in a way that everyone could possibly relate to in some degree.

Excerpt from Not Quite Sheer Happiness by Melissa Baldwin

“Sienna, are you able to go out for drinks with us?” Lisa asks. Interestingly enough, it appears that Craig and Lisa are becoming good friends now.

Just then we hear the door, we all turn to see Ace standing in the doorway. I quickly look at Lisa and her reaction says it all.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting,” he apologizes.

“Ace, is that you?” Lisa exclaims. Oh please, like she doesn’t know that’s him. She stands up and reaches up to give him a hug. Craig’s eyes get big and he looks toward me, probably waiting for me to react. I calmly take a deep breath.

“Lisa,” he replies with a warm smile. “It’s very nice seeing you. Sienna told me that you two were working together.”

She looks surprised. “It’s nice to see you. How many years has it been?”

Ace puts his hand to his chin. “Many years. And congratulations on the job; Welsh and Taylor is a fantastic firm.”

Lisa looks surprised. “How do you know them? They just started their practice.”

“Oh, Ace knows everyone,” Craig interrupts. “He’s an international man of mystery.”

I roll my eyes. “Craig, he’s not Austin Powers.”

Everyone laughs. So far so good, it’s not completely awkward.

“Oh, and congratulations on your engagement,” she says, pointing at me. His gorgeous smile widens and my heart speeds up a little.

“Thank you. I’m very lucky.” He looks at me lovingly, which gives me chills.

Lisa nods. Okay, this is going better than I thought it would. I guess I was reading too much into it. Craig motions for me to go to his office. We excuse ourselves, leaving Ace and Lisa talking about her firm.

“What?” I ask as soon as we get in his office.

“Everything seems to be going good. I told you that you were overreacting,” he says.

“I know,” I agree. “I feel a little guilty about not having more trust in Ace. Am I a horrible person?”

“I wouldn’t say you’re horrible,” he says unconvincingly. “I do think you acted like a jealous girlfriend, though, and that’s not very attractive. But I get it, a first love can be hard to beat.”

What is he talking about? Who said anything about a first love?

“Craig, they dated but that doesn’t mean that they were each other’s first loves?” Or were they? I realize I don’t know much about the details other than Lisa was the one to end their relationship. My palms are starting to sweat. “We should probably get back in there,” I say quickly.

I head back to our tiny conference room, which is actually just a small office with a table in it. I don’t want Ace to think that I’m bothered even though I am. When I walk back in, my heart sinks. Ace and Lisa are leaning in, looking at her phone, their heads closer together than before. It’s not that they’re doing anything wrong; they just look too . . . comfortable.

About Author Melissa Baldwin

Melissa graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications; she has always had a love for writing. An avid journal keeper, she took her creativity to the next level by fulfilling her dream with her debut novel, An Event to Remember . . . Or Forget. Since then, she has written and published three more novels, Wedding Haters, See You Soon Broadway and Not Quite Sheer Happiness.

Melissa resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn't writing, this multi-tasking master organizer is busy being a mother, wife, chauffeur, PTA President, and Fitness Trainer.

When she has free time, she enjoys traveling, running, fitness, fashion, and taking a Disney Cruise every now and then.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/29/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Set Me Free by London Setterby - Book review

Set Me Free by London Setterby

Publication date: 8 July 2016

Genres: Gothic, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Miranda Lewis is desperate to get away from her controlling ex–so desperate she leaves him in the middle of the night. She ends up on a remote island off the Maine coast, where she befriends a bubbly shopkeeper, Claire, and becomes fascinated with Claire’s son, big, brooding Owen Larsen, a woodworker who keeps to himself. Even the friendliest locals here are secretive–and Owen is at the center of their secrets.

Still, Miranda loves the salt air, the craggy coastline, and, most of all, the work of the island’s beloved local painter, Suzanna White. Miranda wants to stay–to claim a life of her own, to paint again. But the longer she stays, the more her fascination with Owen increases. Why is there a painting of his stern, handsome face in the art gallery by the beach? And why is everyone so afraid of him?

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

“If you’re not an English major, what are you?” Owen asked.

“I’m…” Before Rhys, I was a bartender and a painter. But since then? “I’m nothing.” Absolutely nothing.

Set Me Free by London Setterby is an interesting emotional read. The story opens with main character, Miranda, named after Shakespeare’s Miranda in The Tempest, running away from her abusive and domineering boyfriend Rhys. She has no idea where she’s going except that she needs to get as far away from him as possible.

I liked how the title Set Me Free, not only involved the protagonist Miranda but also Owen. The whole town of Falls Island needs to be set free from a tragedy that happened seven years before.

Everyone has a secret in the novel; Miranda’s is the fact that her ex was abusive and that she ran away from him. She is constantly terrified that he would find her – and for good reason – which constantly keeps her on edge, thinking that any sound might be him. He, too, is relentless in his search.

“Anything that made me think of Rhys – Scott grabbing my arm, a hand raised in the darkness – terrified me, until my bones shook and my lungs felt crushed.”

I particularly liked how Setterby portrayed Miranda, the abuse victim’s emotions throughout the novel. Even when Miranda stands up for herself, she begins to have a change of heart about her actions. This happens several times in the novel.

“I should have been proud of myself. But instead fear and adrenaline gave way to numb shock. Over? Truly over? How would I live without him? How long could I sleep in my car and live off leftover French fries?”

As soon as Miranda sets foot on Falls Island, she discovers artwork by a painter called Suzanne White, whom she learns died seven years before. She later learns that Suzanne was believed to have been murdered by her boyfriend.

Miranda is enamoured by Suzanne’s work and later by the woman herself when she sees a self-portrait of her. As she begins to get to know Owen, she starts to compare herself to Suzanne, who as “Beloved of All” in the town.

I loved Miranda’s attempts to solve the mystery behind Suzanne’s death and the bit of amateur sleuthing involved. The way she made the discovery at the end and exposed the hidden killer was brilliant; it was very creative on Setterby’s part.

 “I knew enough about grief to know that it never truly went away, even after seven years. Sometimes it was just a stone you carried around with you, hardly remembering it was there, and other times it hit you with its full shrieking malevolent force – always at the strangest moments, like when you were driving or at the bank.”

One of the fun things about the dark tale of Set Me Free was the references to literature. Miranda’s father is professor who teaches the works of Shakespeare, hence her name, while Owen’s mother, Claire, names her dogs after famous British writers and poets.

I also liked Setterby’s hints as the possible paranormal aspect of the novel, leaving the reading wondering whether things happen for a reason or there is some other force at work guiding the characters and events.

“The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I couldn’t help imagining the island plucking Owen and I from our beds and setting us down on the granite hilltop – chess pieces on a board only the island could see.”

Although I did not feel the gothic aspect much, which for me felt like a lot of mist. I also felt that sometimes I was unsure if the weather was cold or warm in the novel, like the grass being icy but Miranda is wearing just a dress and jacket. Felt odd.

Still I liked the novel, which had a lot of romantic and mushy lines and quotes, another aspect that the author is lauded for.

“Owen was already temptation personified, no matter what skeletons he had in his closet.”

There is major character development for both Owen and Miranda, along with the whole town, which has become used to believing things that aren’t true but because they are the norm or what everyone is doing. The development part for me is important and Setterby has done a splendid job for the two main characters.

“Being brave once was not enough, or even a dozen times; I had to keep being brave, no matter how hard it was.”

Add the book to your Goodreads’ to-be-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29973030-set-me-free

Keep up with the tour schedule here.

Purchase Set Me Free via Amazon and iBooks.

Giveaway

As part of the tour, there is a Giveaway open to US & Canada for 2 signed copies of Set Me Free. Enter here.

Note: I received a free copy of Set Me Free by London Setterby via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour for the book.

About the Author:

Hello! I’m London, a writer, lawyer, and life-long New Englander. I write all flavors of romance, from surreal fantasy romances to raw gritty contemporaries. I also write across the gender and sexuality spectrums. Everything I write is a little bit funny, a little bit sad, and probably kind of strange.

You might know me from Wattpad–my Wattpad Featured Read, Set Me Free, a Gothic romance, will be released as an ebook and in print in summer 2016.

My gritty erotic romance, Breathe, is currently being serialized on Radish, a free app. It will be released in ebook/print as well sometime after Set Me Free.

Author links:

http://www.londonsetterby.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15061712.London_Setterby

https://twitter.com/LondonSetterby

Wings of War Book Blitz - Excerpt & Dream Cast

Wings of War Series by Karen Ann Hopkins

Genres: Dystopian, Paranormal, Young Adult

Blurbs:

Embers

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure/romance about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she’s immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt’s boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember’s exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she learns that she’s a Watcher, a descendant of angels.

While Ember is instructed about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it’s cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She may be one of the few champions willing to make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is the first novel in the dark and gritty YA paranormal romance series, The Wings of War.

Gaia

Watchers and Angels are at war. Which side will Ember choose?

Humankind is on the precipice of the apocalypse.

As the Demons grow bolder and the walls between the planes of existence weaken, Ember is forced to develop her powers as quickly as possible, and she seeks out a powerful earth Watcher to continue her supernatural lessons. Her glimpse of the future demands she fight the dark forces spreading across the earth.

But her new mentor has his own agenda, making her question everyone and everything she ever trusted.

When Ember is thrust into the world of the Watchers, she learns of their plans—ones that defy the scripture and make them enemies of the Celestial Host. Ridding the world of evil gets complicated when it becomes impossible to take sides.

As Ember struggles with morality, she soon discovers that there’s something more frightening than anything she’s faced before.

Tempest

Ember must stop the apocalypse from happening, but at what cost?

The Angels of destruction have arrived, and only Ember stands in the way of their mission to carry out God’s wrath and annihilate His enemies.

When the barrier between celestial creatures and humans beings is broken and Angels descend to Earth, Ember soon learns there’s a fine line between good and evil. As she faces a world full of monsters and magic, a terrifying darkness rises and threatens to destroy everything she’s fighting for.

In the riveting third installment of The Wings of War series, Ember and her friends embark on an epic journey, where unlikely allies are forged and age-old beliefs crumble to dust. And just when Ember accepts love in her life, it’s ripped away from her in the most terrifying way possible.

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/135612-the-wings-of-war

Excerpt from Ember

Sawyer sobered quickly. The obvious hurt on his face made me regret my words.

            “You’re right. I’m a monster. I won’t argue on that account. But your kind isn’t squeaky clean either. Just because your ancestors were arch angels doesn’t give you the right to police the world.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you know how many humans have died from wars that Watchers caused?”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

            I was already suspicious about Watchers. Ila scared the crap out of me sometimes with her demeanor and righteous words.

But Sawyer didn’t need to know that I questioned the Watchers myself. His opinion didn’t count.

            When I turned back to him, ready to change the subject, I wasn’t prepared for the darkening of his already almost black eyes. He leaned in closer and our breaths mingled. In and out I breathed, allowing his familiar woodsy scent to fill my nose. I know Sawyer. Oh, I know him.

            Don’t do it, Ember.

            But I couldn’t stop.

            When he kissed me, my lips parted automatically.

            Deep down, I wanted him, desired him madly, and had from the first time I’d seen him in my dreams.

            In that instant, I didn’t care that he was a Demon.

Dream Cast for The Wings of War series

Dream casts are always difficult to come up with because I tend to imagine my characters with very specific looks. Basically, I create a completely new person in my mind. But sometimes I see an actor or model that reminds me of one of my characters. The following are a few picks I made.

*Helen Mirren ~ Ila

I would be so thrilled to have her play Ember’s magical mentor. She’d be perfect!

*Zoey Deutch ~ Ember

Her hair color would need to be altered a bit, but otherwise, she looks a lot like how I imagine Ember. She also has an earthy quality about her that I think would fit well with Ember’s character.

Alex Pettyfer ~ Sawyer

If his hair was darkened and grown out, he has the charisma and enough bad-boy persona to portray Sawyer—I think, maybe.

Maia Michell ~ Piper

She is Piper in my mind.

Scott Eastwood ~ Insepth

Insepth is a larger than life character, but Scott has the right looks and confidence to pull it off.

Anson Mount ~ Eae

I’m a huge fan of the TV show Hell on Wheels and if I had to crush on someone, Anson Mount would be the guy. If anyone could live up to angelic-looking standards, he could ;)

Ivan ~ ??

Do you have any ideas who would be a great pick for Ember’s Russian born shape shifter friend? If you do, let me know. I’d love to hear them!

As part of the blitz there is a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purchase:

(Embers will be 99c during the blitz!)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wings-War-3-Book/dp/B01BGHQZCW?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=series_rw_dp_sw

About the Author:

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen's main job is home schooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her first horse at the age of eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity's Plain Secrets, along with the YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of War, and the continuation of the Temptation series. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible.

Author links:

http://www.karenannhopkins.com/

https://www.facebook.com/temptationbook

https://twitter.com/karenannhopkins

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5386283.Karen_Ann_Hopkins

Excerpt from Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond

Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond

(Girl on a Wire #2)

Published by: Skyscape

Publication date: July 5th 2016

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.

When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father’s handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she’ll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.

But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can’t control as her stage magic suddenly feels like…real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira’s presence, all while the Cirque’s cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira’s abilities come into question, she must decide what’s real and what’s an illusion. If she doesn’t sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.

Add the Girl in the Shadows on Goodreads

Exclusive Excerpt from Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond

Four days later, I turned the triple-cherry-red convertible that I’d inherited from Dad when I got my license onto the bumpy, unpaved road to the Cirque American’s winter quarters. The intensity of the everglade- green foliage hurt my eyes. Not surprising, since they were gritty from a thirty-six-hour drive with as few stops to rest as possible. I had pulled over at a gas station to do a quick primp and put on my simple costume, and now was so full of nerves I thought I might vibrate right out of my skin.

Could I do this? Dad didn’t think so. I almost understood his objection—it was true that no female magician had ever become as famous as the top male ones. Magic was still a man’s world, a boys’ club. But that only made me more determined to be the first: the first woman as well-known for her magic as Houdini or David Blaine or, well, Dad.

It hadn’t felt good to abandon him to come here. But he’d forced me into this.

I had trundled contritely into his office the day after our fight with a made-up story about how I’d seen the light and would be practical from that moment on—starting with a precollege program across the country at Cornell over the summer. I handed him a forged letter about it and told him I’d neglected to mention it because I thought he’d make me go. He hadn’t been happy about my imminent departure, but what could he say? Stay here with me and learn magic? Nope.

So here I was.

The Cirque grounds came into view ahead, swarming with people. The uneven rows of RVs and trailers, many having seen better days despite being painted with murals or the Cirque’s swirling logo, didn’t match up with what I’d conjured in my head.

You expected Las Vegas hotels and neon and flashing lights and the sound of the next jackpot always nearby.

I found a dusty parking spot beside a few other cars and trucks, some with campers hitched to the back. Red buildings were clustered in the distance like bright gemstones around a crown jewel—in this case, the enormous red-and-white-striped tent at the top of the slope. After I got out of the car, I stood looking at it for a long moment.

My destination and, I hoped, my destiny.

I tugged a short tailored tuxedo jacket over my simple black pants and fitted white shirt, and felt face powder begin to settle into my pores with a sting as the Florida humidity summoned forth sweat. In the jacket pockets, I stashed two custom decks of the slightly smaller, bridge-sized cards many magicians preferred, and a pair of handcuffs, just in case. I’d brought the equipment for my daring coffin escape, broken down into component pieces in the trunk. But I wanted to survey the scene first.

A spaghetti-thin blond boy with a duffel bag draped over one knobby elbow breezed past me and asked, “You run off from a gay wedding?” He laughed at my feminine tux.

His laugh wasn’t mean per se, but my eyes narrowed. Several of the women who worked at Dad’s show were lesbians or bi, and I’d been in one couple’s wedding.

“What if I was?” I asked. “And it would just be a wedding, period.” Another boy drew up beside the first and punched him in the shoulder—hard enough that he took a step back. Then the new boy

_

turned to me. He must not have noticed me before his friend spoke, because his once-over went on way too long. Long enough to turn into staring.

I ordered my makeup to stay put, sweat or no sweat, and tried to hide any reaction to the exam. Distressingly, I found it difficult to be offended.

The boy was tall, wearing a black tank top that showed off a tan and a strong build. Long brown hair brushed his chin, and his eyes flashed like pennies tossed into the air. I had a trick where I threw a handful of pennies and caught them on the return trip only to reveal an empty palm. He should have been as easy to dismiss as those coins were to make vanish, given that being cute didn’t make up for having bad taste in friends. But he wasn’t. There was something about the cut of his jawline as he angled it when he saw me neutrally returning his examination that made me wonder what his story was.

“Ignore him. He’s an idiot,” he said, finally.

“I can believe he’s an idiot. What’s your excuse?” When he looked amused but didn’t say anything, I added, “For staring.”

“Sorry. There’s something . . . about you,” he said. “Your eyes. It was almost like I recognized you. But I don’t think we’ve met.”

My eyes were a perfectly ordinary green. I rolled them. “We haven’t.” No way I’d have forgotten.

“What are you?” he asked. There was a vague lilt to his voice, not quite an accent. “Here for, I mean.”

In answer, I slipped my hand into my pocket and whipped out a deck of cards. This was no time to be flashy and put on the cuffs for a trick of my own design, so I executed a perfect circle fan with the cards instead, thrusting them to one side and forming them into a complete circle. The backs were red and black and white, patterned to make a round roulette wheel.

The circle fan looked easy, done right. This was.

_

The other boy cackled in response and nudged the brown-haired boy’s shoulder. To his credit, he stepped away from his howler monkey of a friend.

“Name’s Desmond, but you can call me Dez,” he said, tipping his chin down to me before starting to walk away. “And that’s not magic,” he added, pointing at my cards.

Yes, it was. It wasn’t what I was most proud of, but the hours of practice that single technique had required to master scrolled through my brain, the endless time spent training my fingers to find the right position automatically. I could count on one hand the number of magicians who could do it as well as me.

“It’s impressive anyway,” he tossed over his shoulder.

I stood in offended silence. He stopped and called back, “Auditions are this way, Girl Who Hasn’t Told Me Her Name Yet.”

I could have introduced myself then, but I decided it was smarter to keep something up my sleeve. Still, I trailed them through the grass and vehicles, arrogant Dez and his cackling sidekick. Dez had one of the black envelopes in his left hand. I was curious what his act was.

We reached a table set up outside the giant tent, where a few business-suited women were collecting invites and checking names off a list. I waited until Dez was done signing in before I approached. The petite woman taking names and dispensing numbers barely even glanced at the much-labored-over fake ID that provided me with a dif- ferent last name. I hadn’t been able to resist giving it a showy flair, so my new handle was Moira Miracle.

Mostly I didn’t want Dad to know I was here, which would be inevitable if people found out I was his daughter. I also worried my real identity would set expectations I couldn’t live up to.

I handed her the black invitation.

She squinted at it, then at her list, before frowning up at me. “This wasn’t yours,” she said. “We’ve already given this spot to its rightful owner.”

_

Crap. This was something I hadn’t prepared for.

“But it, um, found its way to me. So you might as well give me a chance?” I hated that it sounded like a question. That it was a question.

The woman cleared her throat.

And Raleigh stepped into view, dressed in his full stage suit and a top hat embroidered with a spooky skeletal head. “There was a lot of confusion when I showed up without my invite, Pixie. But now everything is clear to me,” he said, drawl more pronounced than usual. Raleigh never showed annoyance in an out-of-control way. “You picked my pocket.”

I couldn’t believe this. “I thought you dropped it on purpose.” “I didn’t drop it.”

“I’m not lying. I—”

“Regardless,” the suited woman said, “you can only audition with an invite. There were a limited number distributed, and this one’s taken. He’s already been seen and hired. Sorry.”

I felt like I’d been sucker punched. “Raleigh?” I had to stoop to pleading with him to help me.

“Does he even know you’re here?” he asked. He meant Dad, of course.

Dez appeared beside us. “Problem?” he asked, giving the woman at the table a smile I would’ve had to admit, if pressed by some instrument of medieval torture, was charming. And practically irresistible based on her eye-batting reaction to it. “I can vouch that she’s an incredible magician,” he said.

Raleigh was giving Dez a who’s this guy? look.

“He’s right,” I said. “And I’m guessing if Raleigh’s hired, then your main magic act is covered, though he might let me open?”

Raleigh shook his head, and I rushed on. “But even if I can’t do that, I’d still like to audition to work the midway crowd. You’ll need people to keep them lingering instead of going to the main tent before it’s time. Close-up is what I’m most experienced at.” While I had my bigger illusion ready to go, I’d never performed it for a crowd. Getting a spot was my main goal, and I was sure I could convince Raleigh, given time.

The woman glanced between Raleigh and me, and then at Dez, still smiling and charming her pants off for some reason.

Please, please give me a chance. I considered holding my breath. Maybe if I went for four minutes, she’d be impressed enough to cave.

“I’ll have to make a note,” the woman finally said. “But I’ll allow you inside, Miss Miracle. Without an invitation, you’d better be a miracle.”

Purchase Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond via Amazon.

About the Author:

Gwenda Bond is the author of the young adult novels Lois Lane: Fallout and Girl on a Wire, among others. Lois Lane: Double Down and Girl in the Shadows, a companion novel to Girl on a Wire set in the Cirque American, are next up in 2016. She’s also hard at work on some secret projects you don’t know about yet.

Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. She has an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe. There are rumors she escaped from a screwball comedy, and she might have a journalism degree because of her childhood love of Lois Lane.

Connect with Gwenda via her Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.