Courtney Summers - Defy the Dark

Malinda Lois the author of several young adult fantasy and science fiction novels, most recently Adaptation . Her debut novel, Ash , a retelling of Cinderella with a lesbian twist, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Fantasy and Science Fiction, and the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Northern California with her partner and their dog. You can visit her online at www.malindalo.com.

Myra McEntireis the author of timeslip novels Hourglass and Timepiece . She lives in Nashville with her husband and two sons. She likes to make stuff up. You can visit her online at www.myramcentire.blogspot.com.

Saundra Mitchellhas been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture deliverer, and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She is the author of Shadowed Summer , The Vespertine , The Springsweet , and The Elementals. She always picks truth; dare is too easy. You can visit her online at www.saundramitchell.com.

Sarah Ockleris the bestselling author of the young adult novels Twenty Boy Summer , Fixing Delilah , and Bittersweet . She loves to defy the dark by staying up all night in her Colorado home writing, reading, and/or thinking about cupcakes. When she’s not busy defying any darkness or licking chocolate batter from a spoon, she enjoys taking pictures, hugging trees, and road-tripping through the country with her husband, Alex. Sarah loves hearing from readers and invites you to connect with her online at www.sarahockler.com.

Jackson Pearceis the author of multiple books for teens, including Sisters Red , Sweetly , Fathomless , and Purity . She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and—despite what she writes—admits she is sometimes afraid of the dark. You can visit her online at www.jacksonpearce.com.

Aprilynne Pikeis a critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling author. She’s been spinning tales since she was a child with a hyperactive imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in creative writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found out running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids; she is enjoying the sunshine. You can visit her online at www.aprilynnepike.com.

Dia Reeves, author of Bleeding Violet and A Slice of Cherry , is a librarian and lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Her family, however, grew up in East Texas and has inspired her with many tales of the area. The fact that she writes gory, psychotic, romantic, surreal books about happily maladjusted teens who live in East Texas is in no way a reflection on her family. Or is it? You can visit her online at www.diareeves.com.

Beth Revisis the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult science fiction novels Across the Universe and A Million Suns , as well as several other short stories set on the spaceship Godspeed . A former high school English teacher, Beth drew inspiration for her novels from her students and their lives—although she took the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a small town and enclosed her characters on a spaceship instead. Beth currently lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dogs, and she believes space is nowhere near the final frontier. You can visit her online at www.bethrevis.com.

Carrie Ryanis the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed The Forest of Hands and Teeth series as well as several short stories. Her first novel was chosen as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, named to the 2010 New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age List, and selected as a Best of the Best Books by the Chicago Public Library. A former litigator, Carrie now writes full-time and lives with her husband, two fat cats, and one large dog in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can visit her online at www.carrieryan.com.

Jon Skovronis the author of Struts & Frets and Misfit . He lives with his two sons outside Washington, DC. You can visit him online at www.jonskovron.com.

Courtney Summerslives and writes in Canada. She is the author of This Is Not a Test , Fall for Anything , Some Girls Are , and Cracked Up to Be . You can visit her online at www.courtneysummers.ca.

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More thanmost, this volume owes its existence to the hard work, dedication, and talents of many.

I have to sing the praises of my authors. Each answered a random email asking if she or he would write a story, if, theoretically, I could sell an anthology. Everyone who said yes is published in these pages, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about their stories. These authors have been here since the beginning; their work is the heart, soul, and purpose of Defy the Dark.

I didn’t tell my agent, Jim McCarthy, that I was writing an anthology proposal. I surprised him with it, and I’m grateful that he was excited, not gobsmacked. It made a lot of extra work for him, and it means a lot to me that he undertook it so enthusiastically. He found a perfect champion for Defy the Dark in my editor, Anne Hoppe.

By turns funny, insightful, and absolutely assured, Anne is exactly what she needs to be when she needs to be it: an anchor, a rock, a bulldozer. What’s more, I don’t think another editor would have allowed me so much input, latitude, and autonomy. It’s been an exciting, eye-opening process with Anne at the helm; I’m so glad she’s the captain of this ship.

I’m also wildly grateful to Estlin Feigley and Dreaming Tree Films. Estlin gave me a start when I was an aspiring screenwriter with nothing on my CV but cobwebs. In the fifteen years we worked together, Estlin never forgot his mission: bringing the art of filmmaking to teens who might not otherwise get the chance. Without Fresh Films, Girls in the Director’s Chair, On the Road, Book of Stories, and Estlin Feigley, there would be no Defy the Dark.

There would be no brand-new author in Defy the Dark if it weren’t for the incredible team at HarperCollins and the talents of a wonderful crew at Figment Fiction. It’s not easy mounting a search for a new author on short notice, but they did it beautifully. Special thanks to Nina Rastogi, Lindsey Stanberry, Colleen O’Connell, Lauren Flower, Megan Sugrue, and Casey McIntyre. They worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make this look easy.

For everyone named, and anyone I should have: thank you, thank you, thank you.

SAUNDRA MITCHELLhas been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture deliverer, and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She is also the author of Shadowed Summer and the Elementals series. She always picks truth; dare is too easy. You can visit her online at www.saundramitchell.com.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.