Toward a Secret Sky

by Heather Maclean

  The fact that HarperCollins’ Blink wasn’t around when I wrote this book makes me secretly believe I wished it into existence. I could not ask for more thoughtful, dedicated, and all-around wonderful colleagues. A huge thank you to everyone for sharing your immense talents with me, especially the editing, marketing, and video dream team of Jacque Alberta, Sara Bierling, Annette Bourland, Ben Greenhoe, Sara Merritt, and Liane Worthington.

  I don’t know where I would be without my husband, Calum—my biggest fan, my greatest love, my Scottish prince—who is a heady combination of Gavin, Jamie from Outlander, and William Wallace (the movie version, not the wear-the-skin-of-his-enemies actual guy), as well as my son Gavin, who was just a baby when I began this story, and is growing into a young man worthy of his fictional namesake. Thank you for always having my back. You will always have my heart.

  Thank you also to the real-life Murdo and Liz, my adorable Scottish in-laws who welcomed me into my adopted homeland with open arms and continue to regale me with tales of Scottish lore, family history, and bad jokes, most of them involving the Irish or poop.

  Huge hugs to the people who sustained me through this process and sustain me through life: my mother, Pam Beach-Reber; my dear friends Jodie Dunn, Helen and Hailey Gelil; my uncle Bob Zavagno; and my brother and sister-in-law Jon and Ali Beach. Your unwavering support, encouragement, and enthusiasm is contagious. I am blessed to have caught it.

  And finally, most importantly, I wish to thank God for giving me gifts and blessings far beyond what I deserve.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  My goal in writing Toward a Secret Sky was to blend reality with possibility. To that end, almost every location in the book is real: from Kingussie High School and the Church of St. Mary and St. Finnan in Scotland to the Millennium Bridge and the Crypt under St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

  Once the book was done, I returned to Scotland and retraced the characters’ journeys with my daughters. We drove all around the Scottish Highlands and down through the English countryside to London, documenting every place, placard, and picaresque vista featured in the book. You can join us on our adventure and see the world through Maren’s eyes at www.towardasecretsky.com

  If you wish to walk in Maren’s footsteps yourself, or just want more information about the magical British Isles (along with videos featuring their marvelous accents), I highly recommend this wonderful trio of websites: VisitScotland.com, VisitEngland.com, and VisitBritain.com.

  The Lost Girl of Astor Street

  By Stephanie Morrill

  When her best friend vanishes without so much as a good-bye, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail takes on the role of amateur sleuth in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. Given that Piper’s tendency has always been to butt heads with high society’s expectations of her, it’s no surprise that she doesn’t give a second thought to searching for answers to Lydia’s abduction from their privileged neighborhood.

  As Piper discovers that those answers might stem from the corruption strangling 1924 Chicago—and quite possibly lead back to the doors of her affluent neighborhood—she must decide how deep she’s willing to dig, how much she should reveal, and if she’s willing to risk her life of privilege for the sake of the truth.

  Perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, Stephanie Morrill’s atmospheric jazz-age mystery will take readers from the glitzy homes of the elite to the dark underbelly of 1920s Chicago.

  Available wherever books are sold!

  It Started With Goodbye

  by Christina June

  Not all stories begin with once upon a time …

  Tatum Elsea is facing the worst summer ever: she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her time with community service by day and her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). But when Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the family with secrets, she decides to start fresh and chase her happy ending along the way. A modern Cinderella story, It Started with Goodbye shows us that sometimes going after what you want means breaking all the rules.

  Available wherever books are sold!