L. G. James

If you're here, maybe you're someone who understands what it means to disappear into a book. I've always loved that about stories. Growing up, books gave me somewhere else to go when I couldn't change the world around me. I could step through a page and find adventure, magic, friendship, and people who were figuring things out right alongside me. Sometimes, a story doesn't fix anything. It just makes you feel a little less alone while you're figuring out how to keep going. That's the kind of feeling I want to put into my own stories. *Betwixt the Midnight Hour* began with a collection of ideas that refused to leave me alone: forgotten histories, dangerous magic, questions about fate, and a girl who would much rather fix something herself than accept that it simply can't be fixed. Somewhere along the way, those pieces became a world, and that world became a story. It's been messy. I've rewritten, overthought, cut thousands of words, added them back, and questioned approximately every decision I've ever made. But that's part of the fun of creating something that didn't exist before. More than anything, I hope *Betwixt the Midnight Hour* gives you somewhere to disappear for a while. I hope you find characters you care about, mysteries you can't stop thinking about, and a world that makes you want to linger just a little longer. So whether you've been here since the beginning or you've just stumbled across my work, welcome. I'm very glad you're here. And if you ever finish the book and find yourself wondering what happens next... Well, that's the best compliment you could give me. With love,