Seanan McGuire - Discount Armageddon

Tooth fairy (Pyske dentin). Tooth fairies are small—no taller than the length of a tall man’s hand—and possess dual-lobed wings. Their dietary habits are unpleasant, and best left undiscussed. Do not leave unsupervised near children.

Waheela (Waheela sapiens). Therianthrope shapeshifters from the upper portion of North America, the waheela are a solitary race, usually claiming large swaths of territory and defending it to the death from others of their species. Waheela mating season is best described with the term “bloodbath.” Waheela transform into something that looks like a dire bear on steroids. They’re usually not hostile, but it’s best not to push it.

Here are a few songs to rock you through Verity’s adventures.

“Just Dance” Lady Gaga

“Kids With Guns” Gorillaz

“We Are Mice” Azure Ray

“Manic Monday” The Bangles

“Whipped Cream” Ludo

“U+UR Hand” Pink

“Fingerprints” Katy Perry

“America” Bree Sharp

“Nobody Move, Nobody We Are Scientists Get Hurt”

“Secrets” One Republic

“Snakes and Ladders” Basia Bulat

“Corrupt” Karissa Noel

“House of Wolves” My Chemical Romance

“Dead is the New Alive” Emilie Autumn

“Bad Moon Rising” Rasputina

“Beauty Has Her Way” The Lost Boys Soundtrack

“Maps” Yeah Yeah Yeahs

“Susan” Aimee Mann

“Rumor Has It” Adele

“Do You Recall” Royal Wood

“Sugar” Thea Gilmore

“Oisin, My Bastard Brother” The High Dials

“Hammer to the Heart” Tamperer

“Ramalama (Bang Bang)” Roisin Murphy

“Back Against the Wall” Alan Parsons Project

“Cowards in a Brave New World” Kim Richey

Discount Armageddon marks the beginning of my second urban fantasy series, and my greatest thanks are extended to Phil Ames, without whom this series would not exist. Betsy Tinney endured my endless questions about the world of professional ballroom dance, while Kate Secor put up with my insistence on watching every single episode of So You Think You Can Dance (sometimes twice).

The tireless machete squad provided proofreading and editorial services, with yeoman labors being performed by Will Frank, Ryan Nutick, and Priscilla Spencer. Amy Mebberson and Bill Mudron supplied incredible artistic interpretations of my characters. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, Chris Mangum and Tara O’Shea made sure my website and graphic needs were met with sleep and élan. I couldn’t do this without them.

My agent, Diana Fox, never lost faith in me, even when I explained that my latest project involved fighting evil through the power of ballroom dance, while Sheila Gilbert and the entire team at DAW worked to make this book a thousand times better than it was to start. My cover artist, Aly Fell, was a dream come true. I am so blessed.

Thanks to Kate Secor and Michelle Dockrey for sharing my time with fictional people, to my mother, for cat-sitting during convention season, and to Jude Feldman and the staff at Borderlands Books, for everything. Any errors in this book are entirely my own. The errors that aren’t here are the ones that all these people helped me fix.