The Haunting Between Us, page 30
“Hey, sweetie,” I say, crouching to talk to her. “Are you lost?”
“I’m not lost,” she insists in a precocious tone.
“Then what can we do for you?”
“I’m hungry,” she pleads.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any food in the museum,” I say with a sad smile.
She frowns. “But I smell cookies.”
Cameron and I stare at each other in shock.
We only look away for half a second, but when we turn back, the little girl is gone.
Acknowledgments
This being my second book, some aspects of writing it were easier than the first book, but some were harder. The story itself came together quickly, but getting the characters right took more time. Overall, this book is more personal to me. I drew from my past for many of Hugo’s and Cameron’s personality traits. Digging into some of those old memories, Cameron’s insecurities, in particular, required some serious self-reflection.
Thanks to my super-star beta readers, Andy, Nick, and Brian. Your willingness to slog through first drafts and answer all my detailed questions was invaluable.
Thanks to my friend Patti for creating the inspiration for Hugo and for providing insight into her own experiences as a queer Mexican American growing up living a nomadic life very much like Hugo.
As usual, my queer book club provided a great beta-reader think tank. In addition to Nick and Andy, thanks to Brian, Tyler, Eric, Beau, Peter, and Kiyon. Thanks to the Seattle Writers Group for helping to critique many of the early chapters.
Thanks to my editors, Maria Tureaud, Alison Cherry, Michele Cacano, and Misha Kydd, for helping make this book what it is and giving it the polish it needed.
Thanks to Marcela Bolívar for the stunning cover illustration and Valerie Gomez for the amazing cover design.
Thanks to my husband, Peter, for providing encouragement and always being willing to work through ideas.
Thanks to my sister, Jennifer, for beta-reading and being my biggest fan, and my mom and dad for always being there when I needed them.
Thanks to Oreo and Minou for keeping me company in my office, requiring lots of petting, and reminding me to take breaks from time to time.
Finally, thank you, the reader, for taking the time to experience all the highs and lows with Hugo and Cameron. Without your enthusiasm and support, my writing dreams would not be possible.
About the author
Paul is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling, writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties and might have a slight addiction to reading queer fiction. But it’s not a problem. He could stop any time he wanted. Honestly.
Email paul@pmwinters.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/paulmichaelwinters
Instagram @pmwintersauthor
Website www.pmwinters.com
Also by Paul Michael Winters
Together in a Broken World
Heartstopper meets The Last of Us in this heart-wrenching post-apocalyptic romance adventure.
Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them.
Available at all major retailers.
Paul Michael Winters, The Haunting Between Us
