Deep and heartfelt thanks go to Christi Barth and Stephanie Dray who sacrificed a winter afternoon to offer unparalleled plot whispering expertise, and to Laura Kaye who, as usual, provided counsel, commiseration, laughter, and was always there to answer the burning question, “Er, does this make sense?” Supreme appreciation goes out to Melissa Landers and Stephanie Dray who read the exceptionally long first draft and offered superior critiques that helped refine the story. Your insights were invaluable. I owe you big time. And to my bestest teen beta reader, Rachel Lefkowtiz, thank you once again for an astute and perceptive review.
Writers are lucky to have one great editor; for this project, I had the pleasure of working with three. Guillian Helm, Robin Haseltine, and Elizabeth Pelletier all had a hand in shaping this book. Thank you for your expert advice and consultation and for accompanying me on this leg of the series’ journey.
A special shout out goes to The Apprentices, my street team of enthusiastic readers who loved Conjure and joined on to help promote the Hoodoo Apprentice series. You’ve inspired me more than you know. Whenever my creaky arthritic hands started to betray me or I hit a writing slump, I’d think of you and plod on, knowing I couldn’t let you down.
Exceptional thanks to my most excellent travel companions, Alina Dougherty, Hannah Dougherty, and Gillian Nolan who accompanied my scouting trip to the South Carolina Lowcountry, including Beaufort, and St. Helena Island. Together we partied at the Gullah Festival, toured the Penn Center and its York W. Bailey Museum, discovered ancient ruins, breathtaking marshes, a gorgeous beach, an abandoned cemetery, and even “Cooper’s house”. Not to mention surviving the Worst. Hotel. Mix-up. Ever. Love to you all, along with a slice of the best key lime pie money can buy after all the restaurants have closed for the night.
Finally, mad props and crazy love to my husband, Patrick who makes so much of this possible. Late nights and writing weekends wouldn’t happen without your abiding support and encouragement and late night pep talks. Thank you for helping me live my dream. And to my little pies, Gillian, Riley, and Lila, thanks for putting up with Mommy’s “typing”. Words strain to convey the depth of my adoration, but here are a few that may come close:
Conjure
the first book in the Hoodoo Apprentice series!
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry—hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
But when a strange girl bent on revenge appears, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before the last days of summer—and her friends—are lost forever.
About the Author
Lean Nolan couldn’t read until the third grade. After a lot of hard work, she finally got the hang of it, and devoured any book she could find with a shiny Newbery Award sticker on the cover. Today, she writes the stories she sought as a teen–smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, and diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She holds degrees in history and women’s studies, concentrating in public policy, and lives with her heroically supportive husband, and three brilliant children in Maryland.
Everlast
the first book in the Chronicles of Nerissette series
Allie Munroe has only ever wanted to belong, maybe even be well liked. But even though she’s nice and smart and has a couple of friends, she’s still pretty much the invisible girl at school. So when the chance to work with her friends and some of the popular kids on an English project comes up, Allie jumps at the chance to be noticed.
And her plan would have worked out just fine…if they hadn’t been sucked into a magical realm through a dusty old book of fairy tales in the middle of the library.
Now, Allie and her classmates are stuck in Nerissette, a world where karma rules and your social status is determined by what you deserve. Which makes a misfit like Allie the Crown Princess, and her archrival the scullery maid. And the only way out is for Allie to rally and lead the people of Nerissette against the evil forces that threaten their very existence.
