Shadowman (Alabaster Penitentiary Book 5), page 75
In the interest of shutting the fuck up because I’ve written more words in the last two months than in the previous eighteen months, I’ll wrap this up with one last juicy morsel… And his name is Angel Alvarez. ;)
Remember the knife Felix used to kill O’Malley? Engraved with the initials A.A., and a bird wrapped in barbed wire? Yea… muy importante. The fact that Trevel was brought in to AP because he killed someone with those same initials… Again, extremely fucking relevant. As is the conversation with Rook’s dad at the end. All of these things and more—where are Luthor and Ren now? Why did Dash end up in The Ivory’s custody when he got back to the Isle? Who was that girl with the auburn hair Byron recalled following in his book…?
Will we see more of Colson, Cyrus, and Tauren? (Thanks for the helicopter, by the way, Daddy T.) Who was this mystery girl The Ivory was keeping in the prison? Is Carson okay? (And is Peters freaking out about him being held hostage in the control room? P.S. how cute are Hancock and Jasper?!)
All of this and oh so much more to come in the conclusion, which will undoubtedly kill me. I broke down, in a few ways, writing this book. And if that’s any indication of how the finale will be, then I’m in for a world of dark and delicious hurt.
I’m telling you, of all the things I’ve done in my writing career, this series is my masterpiece. You either get it, or you don’t. But if you do, I cannot wait for you to experience the bittersweet end with me… Five whole years in the making.
I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve for this one. Everything we didn’t get to cover will be resolved, I assure you.
In the meantime, get ready to fall for a villain… Finalmente.
A lot of what I do gives lone wolf, but in this business, there’s no way to do it all on your own—no matter how badly my control-freakish self wants me to. Writing this book was incredibly difficult… Coming off an excruciating burnout, not having published anything in nearly two years… Needless to say, I was stressed during basically this entire process.
But we did it. We made it! And for that, there are some people I need to thank…
First off, my family. Patrick, my partner in crime… You drive me absolutely insane. I’m fully confident this book would have been out a year ago if it weren’t for you. So my turning into a complete goblin in the month prior to releasing this book is payback for that. I love you, despite your craziness. You’re very much the Michelangelo in my life, and I’ll always be grateful for all the ways you’re different from me, whether it gives me ulcers or not.
To Team Nyla… My mom, Debbie, for holding down the website business and taking a massive and super annoying weight off of my shoulders. To Amber, you’re not only my PA. You’re my friend, my soulmate, and the person who tries to wrangle me like the wild stallion I am (LOL). And to Karie, my sweet little Tinkerbell. Thank you for all that you do, all the hype and the graphic stuff I’m not good at. It’s not easy to be the assistants of a control freak who can’t let go of anything, and who disappears for days at a time… So thank you endlessly for all that you do. You make my life infinitely easier, you’re my squad, and with friends like you in my corner, the sky is NOT the limit, because the limit does not exist.
To my editor, Kay; darling, you had your work cut out for you with this one. The first draft of this manuscript was a literal dumpster fire, and after not working with me for almost two years, I’m sure you came back like… fuck. But you never complain, you never try to stifle me, and you understand who I am as a writer, which is why I’ll never use anyone else. Because I don’t need an editor, I need someone with an eagle-eye who understands the subjectivity of art. Fuck structure, fuck word count standards, and fuck what you’re supposed to do. Rules are made to be broken. Our ride or die motto!
To Kenzie from Nice Girl Naughty Edits… GORRRLLL. Two years and I come back more chaotic than ever… I’m amazed that you haven’t told me to go fuck myself yet (LOL give it time). No, you wouldn’t. Because you’re the sweetest person ever, the best person to have on my team, and just an overall talented, driven, amazing human. You’re the organized presence that I’m not, and I love that for me (and hate it for you lol). I apologize for being a nightmare and giving you this book in three sections because I was still editing a week after we were supposed to be done. We made it! That’s all that matters lol!
To Ashlee, of Ashes and Vellichor… What a year we’ve had together (HAHA!) Shit’s been crazy, but the one thing I know I can count on is your raw, unapologetic talent. Thank you for saving me (yes, I’ll keep saying it), for creating these stunning covers that perfectly encapsulate the series, and for being a shoulder when I need to rant about things in this community (lol). Slayyyy, kween.
To Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Designs… Thank you for formatting these books beautifully, for dealing with my chaos, and for always being there to help me on a dime. You’re a rockstar!
To Hong Phi Filler, the model I randomly approached out of nowhere after a reader sent me a DM about you being the perfect Byron Kang inspo (shoutout to Dee! The real MVP of this one *wink*) Thank you for being so kind and enthusiastic about being on this cover! It was a pleasure working with you.
To Jordan Gray, thank you for taking the time to talk with me about the trans presence in this book, and for reading the dark shit and giving me your thoughts. Not only are you an immensely talented author, but you’re also my friend whom I absolutely adore, so having you help me with this meant the world. I love you big, my dude. I can’t wait to hang again, and get more tattoos!
To Maddie, my real-life friend who doesn’t read and has no stake in the romance book world whatsoever, but who still took the time to talk with me about Alice, and give me thoughts on her death. You were a vital part of getting this book out into the world (and not just because you kept Patrick away from me for a week so that I could work LOL). I love you, and you are just such a special person. Never forget that.
To Corinne, my sister from another mister, thank you for being a supportive presence in my life, and someone I can turn to and bitch to whenever I need it (which is often, apparently). And to all my other author friends who have been here for me throughout my burnout, encouraging me and being positive voices when so much of what we deal with on the daily is negative af. You guys know who you are, and you’re bad-freaking-ass.
Thank you to all the artists who have worked with me on this series, the narrators, Pink Flamingo, Cara (my audio liaison), and anyone else I might be forgetting because my brain is dead.
To the Flipping Hot Fandom… I would not be here if it weren’t for you guys. Your loyalty and support means the entire world, and your enthusiasm keeps me going when I want to quit. MY LEO’s!!! This book is for you…
And last but never least, to the INMATES! The empathic readers of this series, who have been sitting around patiently for TWO YEARS waiting for this book. I told you it was coming, didn’t I?? And that it would be well-worth the wait?! Thank you for trusting me, and for falling as in love with this world as I have. Thank you for the edits, and the theories (and the protection of baby Dash at all costs). For the timeline breakdowns, and for picking up on even the tiniest Easter eggs… This series is your birthright.
We’re BACK, baby! Now, try not to lose your shit too damn hard until the finale.
Love you all,
Xoxo Nyla
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Hi, guys! I’m Nyla K… Author of Flipping Hot Fiction, which basically means all things unique & boundary-pushing! If you’re looking for the same old story, you won’t find it here. I’m the… bad guy ;)
I’m an awkward sailor-mouthed lover of all things romance, existing up in Maine—in our dream house in the woods—with my partner, who you can call PB, or Patty Banga if you’re nasty, and our fur baby, Ziggy Stardust! When I’m not writing and reading sexy books, I’m rocking out to my various awesome playlists, cooking yummy food and fussing over my kitten (and no, that’s not a euphemism). Did I mention I have a dirtier mind than probably everyone you know?
I like to admire hot guys (don’t we all?) and book boyfriends, cake and ice cream are my kryptonite. I can recite every word that was ever uttered on Friends, Family Guy, and How I Met Your Mother, red Gatorade is my lifeblood, and I love to sing, although I’ve been told I do it in a Cher voice for some reason. I’m very passionate about the things that matter to me, and art is probably the biggest one. If you tell me you like my books, I’ll give you whatever you want. I consider my readers are my friends, and I welcome anyone to find me on social media any time you want to talk books or sexy dudes!
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Nyla K, Shadowman (Alabaster Penitentiary Book 5)
