by Billy Coffey
My most heartfelt thanks goes out to you, Dear Readers—for your dedication and your passion, for your e-mails and letters. I’m often asked what will happen next to that little town in Virginia, or what ever happened to Leah Norcross and her Rainbow Man, or what is it about the Hole in Happy Hollow. Honestly? I have no idea. Here’s a secret you might not know: the characters a writer sifts out from the sludge of his or her mind aren’t characters at all. They’re as real as anyone else, built of the same flesh and bone. They might not inhabit our own world, but they are surely part of a world just past our vision. Just next door. Somewhere out there, Allie Granderson and Zach Barnett are continuing on as best they can. Sam is a bit gimpy but otherwise no worse for the wear. The town of Mattingly still stands. The bear of the darkwood still keeps watch. And somewhere close, you can bet something is lurking. Something dark. And somewhere in all that darkness, you can bet there shines a light. There’s always a light, isn’t there? I think so. Let’s go find it together, shall we?
Emerald Isle, North Carolina
June 2014
About the Author
Photograph by Joanne Coffey
Billy Coffey’s critically acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Visit him at www.billycoffey.com.