Darkness continues to haunt Abby since her
escape from the Hunterz. Questions continue to circle. Who are they, really?
Why do they hate the wolves so much?
EXCERPT
I huddled in the
darkness, barely aware of the passing hours and days. The wolf ate when she was
hungry. She found mice and rodents to catch and devour. I was barely aware of
the chase or the joy she found in the hunt. The wolf drank from streams and
creeks along her journey. She slept when she was tired and traveled the rest of
it.
I was aware the
forest was starting to look familiar, but I didn't care enough to wonder why or
where I was. When the big white sprawling house came before us, I realized the
wolf had brought us to the only other place she knew to go: Aunt Lilly's.
I didn't leave the
safety within the wolf when we arrived at the house. I was aware when we
stepped onto the porch and dropped to the cool white washed boards where the
wolf curled up and slept, but I stayed safe, hidden deep. The wolf and the
instincts that drove her protected us. I was happy to let her lead. I was happy
to be carried wherever she decided to go. I slept as the wolf did throughout
the rest of the night.
When the wolf woke, I
woke with her. We were still curled on the porch, but we were within a pile of
dogs that had come to keep us safe and warm and offer company. The wolf was
happy for the companions, as I was not able to be one. I was silent and empty
and had nothing to give right then. I had nothing left to offer her.
I saw my Aunt come
out on the porch, and I saw the moment she recognized me for what I was.
"Abby, honey. What are you doing here?"
I shrank back deeper
within the wolf, and as the wolf had nothing to say to her in that form, Aunt
Lilly was left at a loss. She crouched down before us and ran her hands over my
head and down my back. "You look a little worse for wear. Do you want to
come in and eat? Maybe get a shower and some clothes?"
I wasn't coming out
of the wolf form. I realized that had been my intention the whole time. I
simply hadn't been ready to face it. I was obviously not very good as a human,
so I would try being a wolf for a bit. I used a little more energy and turned
my head away from her and dropped it back down on my front paws.
"Abby? What's
wrong?"
I had no answer for
her, so I didn't move or acknowledge her question. I didn't know what to tell
her. I was still feeling sorry for myself, and I didn't have a plan of how to
fix it other than to ignore it. I was happy as a wolf. Why did I have to be a
human anyway?
She stayed crouched
down next to me for a long time. She tried to talk to me, but I didn't answer.
Finally, she gave up and stepped back. Her dog friends stayed with me, protecting
me in their own way. She surveyed the pile of us then said, "Well, I guess
I'll check on you in a bit."
I closed my eyes and
went back to sleep. I spent the next few days hardly moving a muscle. What was
the point? Aside from getting up to empty my bladder or get a drink of water, I
stayed on the porch, quiet and still. Aunt Lilly stopped trying to talk to me,
but she did continue to sit with me and offer what comfort she could by way of
gentle caresses or tidbits of food she could tempt me with, or just simple
water. The best part was when she sat in the white rocker and just rocked. Her
being there was enough. Sometimes when she sat there, I would get up and sit
next to her, just to be close to someone who gave a damn about me. Just me. Not
what I could do for her, or what I could do for the clan. She just cared about
me.
Why was I so
unlovable by everyone else? Why didn't my mother want me anymore? Why did my
father only see me for what I offered the clan? Why didn't Derek just want me?
Why. Why. Why! What was so wrong with just being me?
It was times like
those that even in wolf form I was able to cry. When the hurt of the world grew
to immense I could not hold it in anymore. I cried the sounds of the wolf, even
if it didn't come with the tears of a human. Aunt Lilly wouldn't press or talk,
she was simply there with me as I tried to handle the sadness overwhelming me.
She'd caress my head and continue to rock.
I don't know how long
things went on like that. Maybe a few days, maybe it was an entire week. I do
know when it came to an abrupt end. Morning arrived with a definite chill in
the air. I didn't notice the cold all that much, thanks to my warm fur, but
also because Aunt Lilly's dogs took shifts with what I thought of as protecting
me. There were always a handful of them, either lying next to me or with me, or
whatever. I was never cold or alone. They knew I was hurting and they in their
animal wisdom stayed with me as comfort. Animals are awesome. People…suck.
AUTHOR BIO:
Courtney Rene lives in the
State of Ohio with her husband and two children. She is a graduate and member
of the Institute of Children’s Literature. Her writings include magazine
articles, short fiction stories, several anthologies, as well as her young
adult novels, A Howl in the Night and the Shadow Dancer series, published
through Rogue Phoenix Press. For a complete listing, visit www.ctnyrene.blogspot com or feel free to contact her at ctnyrene@aol.com.
REVIEW:
Before the Dawn
Courtney Rene
978-1-62420-325-1
Reviewed by
Astilbe of LASR Reviews
3 stars out of 5
There’s a wolf inside of Abby that can’t wait to get out again.
Lilly, Abby’s aunt, was such a kind person and wonderful role model for
her niece. She brought a sense of stability and calm to Abby’s life that was
desperately needed. Every time Lilly entered a scene, I smiled because I knew
she was going to make everything feel alright again. She was by far my favorite
character in this tale.
I would have liked to see more time spent developing Abby’s personality.
She spent a great deal of this story being angry. While she had good reasons
for feeling that way so often, it was hard to get to know the other sides of
her personality because of it. I would have loved to see more examples of how
she behaved when she was in other moods, too, so I could discover the rest of
her as well.
The shifter society was fascinating. I really enjoyed seeing how it all
worked, especially when it came to how men and women relate to each other in
this world and all of the double standards that they have about what men are
allowed to do but women are not. Abby’s reactions to those sections of the plot
were exactly what I’d expect from her. It was as interesting to see her act the
way I thought she would as it was to explore why so many of the men in this
universe accept the status quo.
This book is the third in a series. I’d recommend reading the first two
instalments before jumping into this one.
Before the Dawn should be read by anyone who enjoys stories about
shifters.
Website
URL: Www.Courtneyrene.com
Blog URL:
www.ctnyrene.blogspot.com
Facebook
page:
https://www.facebook.com/Shadow-Dancer-and-more-by-Courtney-Rene-164433473646449/
Twitter
handle: @ctnyrene
ALSO BY COURTNEY RENE
REVIEW:
A Howl in the Night
Courtney Rene
978-1-936403-84-4
Reviewd by William Delamar
On a scale of 1-5, the rating is 5 by William Delamar.
I don’t generally read novels in this genre, but a friend
recommended it, so I read it and I’m glad. The author, Courtney Rene, writes
clearly and the story unfolds with purpose and intrigue. It’s the kind of book
that’s hard to put down. Abigail Staton’s mother has a strange reaction to a
gift to Abigail from Dad. Abigail is thrust into a world not of her choosing.
Finally she has to make a choice and face serious consequences with any
decision. This novel is a grabber. If you dare read it, be prepared for a
shock.
BLURB:
Sweet Sixteen is supposed to
be a turning point in your life. The world is before you in all its glory, just
waiting for you to reach out and grab it. Right? For Abigail Staton no, not so
much. Not only does she suddenly lose her best friend due to a fight, but
suddenly her mother expects her to believe that the father, she has never met,
is actually a werewolf. With that revelation, Abby is thrust into the world of
two wolf clans who are not only fighting each other, but also fighting for
Abby, one of the few females born to the shape-shifters. Her father is
determined to pair Abby up with Derek, a very dominant and overwhelming
shifter. Abby vehemently balks at this union to disastrous results. When war is
declared between the two clans, Abby has to decide what side she is actually
on.
REVIEWS:
The Full Moon Rises
Courtney Rene
978-1-62420-239-1
By Jeffrey Ross
5 stars out of 5
The Full Moon Rises: A howl In the Night Book 2 by Courtney Rene
continues the dramatic life of Abby, a nearly seventeen-year-old shapeshifter
who tries to balance her wolf and human “selves.”
This unique coming-of-age narrative details Abby’s struggles with her
own special nature and the patriarchal wolf clan to which she belongs-- and
climaxes as she confronts the wolf-destroying group The Hunterz.
A successful strain of feminism persists in this second book of the
Howling as strong-willed Abby exerts her emerging personality and successfully
defines her relationships with humans and shapeshifters.
I only hope a third book is in the works for this gritty, naturalistic,
and enticing series.
Life as a shape shifter is
not as easy as it would seem, especially not for Abigail Staton. Being a
teenager and a shape shifter is even harder, not to mention being one of the
last remaining females in the two competing wolf clans and the only girl in her
new schools. Striving to find where she belongs, gets sidelined when an old
threat to the wolves resurfaces. The clans are forced to come together in a
semi-truce, and the already dominant males become even more controlling in
trying to protect their own as well as their secret. Abby finds herself in the
middle yet again, but this time, she will need both clans in order to survive.
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