Spooky Legends & Giveaway: Sandy Williams’ McKenzie Lewis on The Vanishing Hitchhiker & win “THE SHADOW READER”

In case you missed my 5bat! review of today’s Spooky Legends book earlier this week, I said that it’s “a fantastically fun urban fantasy!  One of the best debuts of the year and easily my favorite fae urban fantasy since Karen Marie Moning’s Darkfever series.”  I’m talking about Sandy Williams new McKenzie Lewis series debut, THE SHADOW READER (available on October 25th from Ace Books).  You can get a taste of this new world in her version of the Vanishing Hitchhiker legend below as well as enter to win a copy of the book! See details below.

Click to see the Spooky Legends Master List with links to all previous posts & giveaways

McKenzie Lewis on The Vanishing Hitchhiker
by
Sandy Williams

 

I’m uncomfortable at parties. I didn’t used to be. Back in high school, I was social. I hung out with friends on the weekends, went to football games, was a member of over a dozen school sponsored clubs. I was even elected class president my sophomore year. I did all of this and kept my grades up.

Until I met the fae.

Now, I’m always distracted, wondering what’s going on in the Realm, hoping Kyol is okay, and I’m always looking over my shoulder to make sure no fae has suddenly appeared in the room. So, when my best friend – my only human friend – asks if I believe her, I say yes, having absolutely no clue what she’s talking about.

“See,” Paige says to the three guys sitting across from us on the couch. She’s trying to set me up with one of them. His name is Brad, but whether he’s the guy on the right, the left, or in the middle, I don’t know. They’re all wearing jeans, preppy polos, and are holding red plastic cups in their right hands. They laugh and roll their eyes, and I swear to God, they take a sip of beer at the exact same time. I don’t care which one is named Brad. I’m not interested.

The beads in Paige’s blond hair rattle as she stands. “Let’s go out there.”

“Out where?” I ask, craning my neck up at her.

“To Solomon Road.” She snatches the plastic cup from my hand and sets it aside. “And you’re driving since you haven’t even touched your drink.”

The last part of that, I don’t mind since Paige is on her fourth beer. The first part? Well, I’m extremely familiar with Solomon Road. It’s one of the places where I meet Kyol when his king needs me to track a fae. Fae can fissure from place to place whenever and wherever they want to, but humans won’t survive unless we’re fissured through a gate. There’s one located on a wide creek just off of Solomon Road. I used it three days ago to track down a fae who was supplying the rebels with swords.

“Even if you weren’t hallucinating,” Potential Brad #1 says, “What makes you think you’ll see her again today?”

“It’s Friday the thirteenth,” Paige says. “If I were a ghost, I’d make an appearance.”

Pieces of the previous conversation start clicking into place. I assumed they moved on from talking about the vanishing hitchhiker, but apparently not. Paige is still insisting she saw someone disappear. That urban legend has been around for decades. People claim they see someone walking down the street. They stop to pick up the hitchhiker, and somewhere along the way, the hitchhiker disappears. Sometimes they leave behind a scarf or a sweater. Other times they spread rumors or utter prophecies.

Theoretically, I suppose Paige could be telling the truth. Fae can only be seen by humans with the Sight unless the fae makes a concentrated effort to be seen by others, so it’s possible one was visible until Paige pulled over.

Possible, but not likely. I can’t imagine a fae walking through this world without realizing he or she is visible. Plus, there’s no way in hell one would be hitchhiking. Tech screws with a fae’s magic, and even though the damage is usually temporary, most of them would shun a car. Hell, they’d probably shun a bicycle, too, if it had a battery powered headlight attached to it.

“Who’s coming with us?” Paige asks. She’s had just enough alcohol to not drop the subject.

None of the Brads look interested. I don’t want to drive out there either, but I do want to leave the party, so when Paige holds out her keys, I stand and take them.

We go outside. The Brads don’t follow. As soon as the door closes behind us, sealing the sounds of the party inside the house, Paige grabs my arm.

“Thank you! I would have hurt someone if I had to stay in there one more second. And I changed my mind. Brad is definitely not the guy for you.”

I smile. I could have told her that. The guy for me has lightning covered skin and eyes the color of a storm. He’s quiet but confident and he’s the most honorable man I know. Loyal, too. Unfortunately, he swore an oath to his king long before he met me, and that king has banned all relations between fae and human.

I clear my throat then focus on Paige before that semi-bitter pain can tighten in my chest. “So, you didn’t really see a vanishing hitchhiker.”

“Oh, I did,” she says, still holding my arm as we walk to her car. “But I must have skipped my meds that night. The girl I think I saw was dressed like some weird kind of gladiator, not like a wispy damsel in distress.”

I almost drop the keys. Some weird kind of gladiator? That could describe a fae. Hell, maybe Paige did see someone. I guess it’s possible our world’s tech totally screwed with the fae’s magic. Or maybe, even in the midst of the Realm’s war, a fae found the time to play a prank.

I beep the car unlocked. “Yeah. That’s a little crazy, Paige. Make sure you take your meds.”

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About the author:

Sandy Williams graduated from Texas A&M University with degrees in political science and history. She worked as a librarian until her husband whisked her off to London on an extended business trip. Now, she’s back in Texas, writing full time and moonlighting as a librarian. Visit her on the web at www.sandy-williams.com.

Visit Sandy Williams online: Website|Blog|Twitter|Facebook

Giveaway provided by Ace

One copy of THE SHADOW READER by Sandy Williams

 

Available on October 25, 2011 from Ace Books

Description:

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

Read an excerpt|Read our review

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**Don’t forget to visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Spooky Legends guest blog with Eileen Wilks and a chance to win DEATH MAGIC**