The Truth About Unspeakable Things, Emily Myers [bookstand for reading TXT] 📗

my dad and everything related to that to now being back in New Orleans, having this house, running Lucid, and rebuilding things with my mom. And get this,” I tell her. “Eva is pregnant!”

“What? Well, they sure didn’t waste any time,” she says.

“They never did.”

“That’s true,” she agrees.

We swing back and forth, enjoying each other’s presence. The wind chime dances in the warm, summer breeze. A hummingbird swirls around the feeder, drinking his daily allotment of nectar. The Garden District trolley moves up and down the street as tourists snap photos of all the beautiful homes.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” I ask. “We look around and it’s as if the past year, really the past two years if you think about it, it’s like it never happened. The sun rises. The wind blows. The hummingbird drinks. People walk up and down the street each day without realizing what really happened here, what I’m dealing with, what so many people are dealing with.”

“Time doesn’t stop for anyone,” she says.

I nod.

“And yet, for some, their lives stop even when the sun rises, even when the days keep passing,” I tell her. “For two years now, I haven’t lived. I survived in fear of Beaux and his wrath. I survived on the run from an invisible predator. But now, now I wake up with flushed cheeks and a smile on my face. I don’t dread the morning light or the new day. I don’t cringe at the thought of commitment, at the thought of giving my heart to someone,” I reveal. “I’m not the girl I was before, but I’m happy, Kat.”

Her sun-kissed cheeks blush. Her strawberry curls blow in the breeze.

“He didn’t break you,” she says then.

My lips draw into a smile. I hold my head high, allowing the afternoon glow to warm my skin.

“He didn’t,” I tell her. “He really didn’t.”

Acknowledgements

I was 17 when I wrote my first novel. In truth, it was a 55,000-word skeleton with an uninspired title. The summer I spent writing that novel was the summer I realized my dream of being a published author. Even more so, I realized my ability to accomplish my dream. And yet, at 17, I never imagined the journey that has led me to The Truth About Unspeakable Things.

I’d like to thank Marissa Corvisiero, a literary agent who read my rough work at a conference in Boston. Your feedback, Marissa, gave me a sense of confidence in my writing I never before had.

I’d like to thank Alexa Bigwarfe and the speakers of her Women in Publishing Summit for opening my eyes and mind to the vast possibilities self-publishing offers. Furthermore, I’d like to thank Alexa and her team at Write Publish Sell for helping bring this book to life. Alexa, you are a knowledgeable, inspiring woman and when I first stumbled across your Summit in 2019, I couldn’t have imagined the role you’d grow to play in my professional journey. Thank you for everything.

I’d also like to thank Chanticleer Book Reviews, my wonderful beta readers, copyeditor, and proofreaders for providing key feedback in my revision process. Special thanks to Aubrey Knorr who served as a beta reader and a proofreader.

You all have played incredible roles in my journey toward publication, but before I could run, I first had to walk.

Thank you to my mom for always believing in my writing abilities. Without your encouragement, I would not have had the confidence to pursue my dream. Thank you to my foundation-layer, Ashley Haire, who taught me English 7th–12th grade. Your teachings gave me the tools I needed to succeed. Thank you, Darrian Pierite, who when faced with the opportunity to let me run or hold me back, chose to let me run. Darrian, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you, God, for granting me the gift of words. Though I do not write Christian fiction, I pray my work brings You glory.

About the Author

Emily A. Myers is a Women’s Fiction author based in Louisiana. Her debut novel, The Truth About Unspeakable Things, sets the tone for Emily’s future works as it follows a young woman’s journey through the dangerous pitfalls of adult relationships and the complexities of growing up. In addition to writing fiction, Emily also dedicates time to her blog, Self Publish Source.

Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @emilymyersauthor for real-time updates.

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