Shattered: A Shade novella

Thanks first of all to my amazing family,
friends, and agent (Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown), who supported me through a
roller coaster year as I fought to bring “Shattered” to life. Your strength
helped me find my own.

Cheers to an astonishing array of
insightful beta readers and critique partners: Karen Alderman, Jennifer
Armentrout
, Judy
Gabbett
,
Stephanie
Kuehnert
, Frankie Diane
Mallis
,
PT Michelle, Lindsay
Ribar
, Cecilia Ready, Rob
Staeger
, and Jennifer Strand, most of whom heroically read
multiple drafts.

Special thanks to Scotland natives
Sya
Bruce and Fraser McFarlane for help with location and
language. I can never hope to do your country justice with my writing, but at
least you helped me get closer. And sorry for any mistakes I introduced after
the last draft you read—my bad.

Counseling psychologist Elizabeth
Venart
, M.Ed., NCC, LPC, helped me understand the struggles
of those suffering from PTSD. Any inaccuracy or misrepresentation of the
disorder is on me. I hope Zachary’s story can provide hope to those who share
his difficult journey.

People who helped without knowing they
helped (which will henceforth be a regular feature in my acknowledgments):
Glaswegian comedians Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, Robert Florence, Louise
Stewart, Iain Connell, and Brian
Limond
, who taught
me much about daily life in Glasgow, most of which can’t be repeated in a YA
book, even one as “edgy” as “Shattered.”

My amazing assistant, Melissa Jolly,
provided hours of support in more forms than one. No one short-circuits a major
author meltdown like you!

Once again, I’d like to thank the members
of the most amazing fandom in the history of literature (well, to me, at
least): Team Kilt! Without you, “Shattered” would never have happened. You all
know why.

In alphabetical order by first name they
are… *deep breath*

Aeriell
Choquette
,
Aine
,
Alana
Fligelman
, Alicia Ester, Alyssa Anne, Amanda
Wolfbauer
, Amy Jacobs, Amy
Pittel
,
Amy Stewart, Ana L.
Arroyave
, Angela @ Reading Angel,
Anna Heinemann, Annette Stone, Ariel
Boeger
, Artemis
Grey, Ashe Terry, Ashley
Gafford
, Ashley Lauren,
Ashley Morrison, Ashley Nicole McKinsey,
Ashly
Ferguson aka
Lostnthestacks
,
Aydrea
Rickert
, Bailey Hewlett, Bailey Purvis, Barbara
Walker, Becky Boyer, Beth Hickey, Bethany Larson, Bobby-Jo
Boxall
,
Brandi Gardner, Britney Wyatt, Brittany Howard, Brooke “Team Logan’s Empress”
Goldetsky
,
Carli
Bandeira
, Caroline
Kimsey
,
Casse
Narome
, Cassie
Pendino
, Cassie Rosario,
cegluna
,
Christie Taylor, Christine
Danek
, Christine
Ko
, Christine
Manzari
, Christy
Bennett, Christy
Kamphilay
, Christy/@
starrebelle
, Claire Huggins, Claire Wong, Courtney M.
Heitman
, Cristina Escalante, Cyndi Martin, Cyndi
Tefft
, Daisy de Bruin,
Dayna
Pearce, Deanne
Dekle
(@
librarychickD
),
Debra
Elsner
, Deena Graves, Diana Chao,
Edesa
Y., Elsie Chan, Emily
Pazienza
,
Epic Lynn Marie, Erin Stout, Flo, Frankie Diane
Mallis
,
Fraser McFarlane, Gabriela Navarro, Gabriella Turner, Ginger @
GReads
, Grace, Grace Lo, Grace Smith, Heather Burke,
Heather
Elia
, Heather Harris McFarlane, Heather
Rosdol
, Heidi
Stegmann
, Ida “
TeamKilt’s
Crazymember
”
Bosita
, Iris
Fligelman
,
Jacinda
& Jasmine @ The Reading Housewives, Jackie
Burris, Jaime Arnold,
Janae
Haygood
,
Janette
Derucki
,
Jazmin
Naomi
Labrada
, Jen
Duffey
,
Jen Fisher, Jen Kentfield, Jen Kovacs, Jen Stewart, Jen Watson, Jena M.
Freeth
,
Jenn
Martin, Jennifer M.
Nix, Jennifer Sanders, Jennifer Strand, Jenny Vasquez, Jesse Grant, Jessica
Arb
, Jessica
Corra
, Jessica
Drake, Jessica Ware, Jessica Woodward, JoAnne Claudio, Joanne The Fairytale
Nerd, Johanna
Reinberger
, John F. Gardner,
Joli
@ Actin' Up with Books,
Joti
Bilkhu
, Judy
Gabbett
,
Julianna
Helms, Julie Jones, Julie
Montmarquet
,
Kailia
Sage, Kara Lang
Guminski
,
Karen Alderman, Kasey, Kasey
Hilyard
, Kasey
Paradis
, Kat
Chamsay
, Kelsey
Jones, Kendra McCormick, Kim
Mathwig
, Kimberley
Steel, Kimberly Brasher, Kimberly
Callegan
,
Kissha
Ann
Peddy
, Kris
Viers
Armstead
, Kristin P. Jones,
Laura Young, Lauren Goff,
Leilani
Lopez, Lindsay Cox,
Lindsey Redding,
Lindsi
King, Lisa Hoag, Lisa Sperry,
Lona
Queen,
Louisse
Ang
, Lucy D. Briand, Lynn Marie Spinks,
Lynsey
Newton, Mag @ Geek Chic,
Mandie
Baxter, Maria Laura
Alvarez, Marissa Odom, Mary
Quiggle
-Pickering, Megan
Kyser
, Megan
Zaiser
, Meghan
Raine
, Mel
Boulrice
, Melanie
Stang
, Melissa "
Litzalou
"
Layton, Melissa
Driggers
, Melissa Fonseca, Melissa
Garner Mitchell, Melissa Gibson, Melissa Layton, Meredith from Mint Tea and A
Good Book, Michele Blanchard, Michelle Coffey, Michelle Long, Michelle
Molenderas
Santiago, Michelle Nadeau,
Miri
Epstein, Miss Jessica S., Misty Evans, Nancy Ouellette, Neil
Raz
Ipong
,
Nerissa
Luna, Nikki Baldwin, Nikki Oldenburg, Nikki Ulmer,
Panagiota
Kalogeroudis
,
Pao
Mtz
Parente
, Paris Hansen,
Patricia Mendoza,
Pavan
Hansra
,
Pavlina
,
Pyxi
Rose, Rachel
Clarke, Rachel
Isom
, Rachel Patrick,
Raychelle
Smith, Rebekah Millet, Renee Combs,
Saleana
, Samantha Heck, Samantha Stoner, Sandra
Werbunat
, Sarah "
Sarbee
"
Brown, Sarah
Hardie
, Sarah
Mäkelä
,
Scarlet Rose, Scott
Romanski
, Shannon
Condie
, Sharon
Mostyn
, Shell
Bryce, Smash Attack,
Somer
, Stacey Canova, Susan
Jakubowski
, Suzanne Rauch, Suzanne
Waligora
,
Tabitha Qualls, Tabitha Williams, Tamara
Bašić
,
Tara @ Fiction Folio, Tara Gonzalez, Teri aka
Dirtybrit
,
Tiffany Webb, Tina
Ljujic
, Tori
Reul
,
Tracy Hudson, Tristan Bruce, Victoria Anne, Victoria Lee, Wen Yan, Wendy Adams,
Yiling
Ni, and
Zeinab
Zmurrod
.

Whew! I hope I got all those names right.
If not, email me and let me know!

Special thanks to the phenomenal lasses who
led Team Kilt—Amy
Oelkers
and Jennifer
Strand—and to those who’ve contributed to the Shade fan site
(KiltandKeeley.com): Karen Alderman, Jennifer
Duffey
,
Brooke
Goldetsky
,
Julianna
Helms, and Mike Pooler.

Lastly, thanks to my husband, Christian
Ready, for his love and patience, and for holding the torch in the darkest
tunnels.

Author’s
Note 1:

A wee Scots language primer

Scots is considered by many to be a
language in its own right, one related to English and German, with a
Scandinavian influence as well. It’s spoken mostly in the Scottish Lowlands,
including the city of Glasgow, where ‘Shattered’ takes place. (If you ever read
Robert Burns’ poetry in school, you’ve read Scots!) The degree to which Scots
is spoken and the level to which it’s interspersed with English varies widely
with location and situation.

Since I’m treating Scots as a language and
not a dialect, I’ve used full words without apostrophes or other indicators of
slang.

For example, the words
wi
and
no
are actual Scots words, not simply slang-shortened forms of
with
and
not
. So when you see them appear in dialogue, I promise they’re not
typographical errors.

Scots words that might confuse, along with their English
meaning:

awfy
(
awfully, very
)

aw (
all
)

baw
(
ball
)

burd
(
bird
)

cannae
(
can’t
)

deid
(
dead
)

didje
(
did you
)

didnae
(
didn’t
)

dinnae
(
don’t
)

fur (
for
)

gaun
(
going
)