The Veil (36 page)
Authors: Cory Putman Oakes
The doorbell rang for the final time that night. Gran showed Mr. Stratton inside, and I took his coat.
“Tamsyn sends her apologies, Edith,” he told Gran. “She’s caught up in some nasty business somewhere, but she hopes to be home sometime around the new year.”
“She sent me a lovely note,” Gran assured him. “Come and have a drink—dinner is almost ready.”
——
Hours later, when the party was over and the guests had gone home, I lay on top of my covers, staring at the framed picture of my parents and my grandmother on the nightstand. I couldn’t help but think how the three of them would’ve made a wonderful addition to the crowd of people gathered around Gran’s dining room table that evening. Somehow, they were beginning to feel less like strangers to me, the more I learned about the Annorasi world.
Sighing happily, and groaning only a little bit at how full my stomach was, I turned over, closed my eyes, and dreamed that Luc and I were sitting in our spot atop the Headlands, watching as the fog wrapped itself like giant, twin serpents around the pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge.
W
RITERS BECOME PUBLISHED AUTHORS
because someone believes in them. I would like to extend my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to the following “someones” who believed in me:
First and foremost my husband, Mark Oakes, for not batting an eye when the overly stressed but financially stable lawyer he fell in love with decided to morph overnight into an overly emotional and chronically out-of-work writer. (And for loving and supporting me anyway.)
Sophia Oakes, for not holding it against Mommy when she needs to spend some time with her imaginary friends.
Lee Klancher, for handing me a road map to this “twisted path” and welcoming me to Octane Press.
John and Becky Oakes, for choosing such a unique and inspiring first-dance song and for the loan of a very important name.
Meghan Kingsford, the Veil’s first honest-to-goodness teenage fan.
Craig Tenney, for his guidance and advice in the early days of this book.
Sue Lawrence, for reading my first novel when I was fifteen and telling me it would one day be “publishable.” (That one didn’t make it, Ms. Lawrence, but I hope you like this one!).
My parents, Susan and Brian Putman, for always believing I’d do this one day.
Elizabeth Richardson (a.k.a. Gram), for helping me with Addy’s alias.
Tara Nicole Costello Tatko, for allowing me to put so many real things of ours into this fantasy story.
My amazing pre-editors: Joan Hughes, Alexis Stokes, Shannon Peris, Becky Oakes, Tara Nicole Costello Tatko, and Mark Oakes.
“Team Veil”: Susannah Greenberg, publicist extraordinaire; Tom Heffron, layout genius; Rhonda Helms, eagle-eyed editor; Leah Cochenet Noel, meticulous proofer; Eddie, at [email protected], website wizard; and the phenomenal David Brady, who is responsible for the amazing cover art.
And the many family members and friends who have, over the years, held my hand, taste-tested the brownies, handed me the tissues, eaten the rejection-letter cupcakes, brainstormed names on trains, opened the wine, done blitz edits at a moment’s notice, generally put up with me, and above all encouraged me never to give up.
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
Can’t get enough?
For more on
The Veil
,
including an author bio,
book club discussion guide,
deleted scenes, and more, go to
Cory Putman Oakes’s website, at: