by Peyton Bogue
Firstly, thank you to everyone who didn't act like I was crazy when I told them I was writing a book. As an undergraduate student at UNLV, and a Chemistry major no less, mostly everyone I talked to told me that writing an LGBTQ+ story while also working as a full-time college student was simply a waste of my time. There were many nights that I crammed to study for final exams in my physics/chemistry classes because I had spent too long writing these chapters. In comparison, my days were full of analyzing cataclysmic equations, redox reactions, vector and magnitude quantities, and analyzing the great literary works of William Shakespeare. Writing chapters for this novel was the only sort of cathartic experience I had while struggling my way through online learning. In short, don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Be your own person. If you feel like writing a novel, don't let others stop you from writing the next best Game of Thrones. I promise it'll be worth it.
Secondly, thank you to my aforementioned amazing roommates, Tess, Courtney, and Emma. I went into this entire experience hoping to find someone who felt half of even what I felt for this book, and all three of you have matched me entirely from beginning to end. Thank you, Courtney, for letting me talk your ear off about Sage and Rhys before I even put pen to paper. Thank you, Tess, for always pushing me to do better and being the light I needed when I entered this dark tunnel. Thank you, Emma, for designing this back cover and for loving the idea of this story as much as I do.
And thank you, Mac, for coming up with the tagline for this. You're amazing and I bow to you.
Thirdly, thank you, Paweł Czerwiński, for designing this amazing front cover. You're artistic talent is truly unmatched.
I'm a pretty avid fan of fantasy/supernatural thrillers, and I often find myself attracted to these stories the most because of the depth and dynamic of the characters and the writing. I remember reading amazing books such as Twilight, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Hunger Games, and so many more amazing YA novels over the course of my youth that have tremendously inspired me as I was writing this crazy story. Thank you for having a part in crafting this novel.
Even more thanks: To my parents, Gwyn and Derek, for giving me more love and support than I could ever hope to give back and for asking me what I was doing up in my room all of the time when I was spending so much time on my laptop even when the semester had ended. I'll bet you'll be pretty shocked now to find out that I wrote a book, huh? To my brother: Malakai is totally you reincarnated, and I wrote him for you as told through the eyes of someone who always tries to match your chaotic energy. To my grandma, Betty: Thank you for teaching me that my dreams weren't so unattainable.
And thank you to you, my dear reader, for giving this story a chance. I hope you found a place here, even if it was just for a few pages. You, reader, are so amazing and loved. I cannot thank you enough. This one's for you.
P E Y T O N B O G U E is a current second year Chemistry BS undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When she is not attending lectures and completing homework assignments, Peyton loves to watch Game of Thrones, spend time with her parents, Gwyn and Derek, and her younger brother, Rylan, and her dog, Molly. One of her favorite things to do when she isn't writing is to drive down The Strip at night with her roommates. Peyton's goal upon graduating from college is to attend medical school to eventually venture into a career in the healthcare field. She was born in New Castle, Indiana and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her three roommates, Tess, Courtney, and Emma, and their pet cat, Astro. She is the author of her first debut novel, Sharpened Claws.
You can find Peyton online on Instagram and Facebook: @peytonboguebooks.