Dreamland (Riley Bloom #3)(42)

Bodhi looked at me, his voice full of sym-pathy when he said, “Sorry, Riley, but the Council made it crystal clear that this was your Soul Catch. Yours, and yours alone.

They asked me to stay out of it, to supervise only, and leave you to work it out on your own. But we’ll try to throw you a lifeline if you need it—or should I say soul line? And while I thought about letting you bring Buttercup along, for the company if nothing else, the thing is , thousands of wild animals died in that arena, and some of them are still lurking in ghost form. Being chased by a lion or a bear could be pretty terrifying for him since he doesn’t really get that he’s dead.” I squinted into the dying light, gazing at the long, rectangular space filled with rows of narrow, crumbling, roofless structures that sat just below us—yet another ancient ruin. From what I’d seen, Rome had no shortage of them.

“It’ll be dark soon,” Bodhi said, his voice softly nudging.

“The sooner you get started, the better—and you might want to start there.” He gestured toward the ruin just below us. “It’s the Ludus Magnus.” He looked at me. “One of the biggest, most important gladiator schools in Rome’s history. Could be a good place to begin, get your bearings, get a feel for the place

… you know, before you hit the arena.” The arena.

I gulped, nodded, and tried not to think about my fellow Soul Catchers who never made it back. I mean, if the Council thinks I can handle it, well, who knows? Maybe I can.

Maybe they knew something I didn’t.

So I pushed my bangs from my face, took one last look at my dog still gnawing that shoe, then pushed off the ledge. Hoping more than anything that the Council was right, that I really was capable of more than I thought.

But already betting against it, as I made my way down.

acknowledgments

I’m incredibly grateful to work with such an amazing team of talented people who help bring the Riley Bloom series to life—including, but not limited to—Jean Feiwel, Rose Hilliard, Jennifer Doerr, Eileen Lawrence, Jessica Zimmerman, Elizabeth Fithian, Mar-iel Dawson, Samantha Beerman, Angela Goddard, Bill Contardi, and Marianne Merola.

Thank you to Sandy, for more reasons than I could possibly list.

But mostly, thanks to my readers, for allowing me to live this incredible dream!



Questions for the Author

In what ways are you similar (or dif-

ferent) to Riley Bloom?

Actually, Riley and I share a lot in common. I know what it’s like to be the baby of the family, and though I hate to admit it, I’ve also been known to hog the microphone while playing Rock Band on the Wii!

How do you come up with your

characters?

Honestly, I’m not really sure! The story idea usually comes first, and then as I’m busy working on all the ins and outs of the new world I’m creating, the cast just sort of appears.

What was your inspiration for the

Here & Now, the magical realm where

Riley lives?

Back when I first started working on the Im-mortals series, I did quite a bit of research on metaphysics, quantum physics, ghosts, spir-its, and the afterlife, etc., all of which sort of fed into the concept of the Here & Now. I guess, in a way, it’s how I hope the afterlife will be.

Do you believe in ghosts?

In a word—yes. I’ve definitely experienced enough unexplainable phenomena to ever rule it out.

Did you grow up with an older sister

the way Riley did? How many broth-

ers and sisters do you have?

I have two older sisters, both of whom I completely idolized. There’s a bit of an age gap between us, one is ten years older, and the other five years older, and trust me when I say that I did my best to emulate them. I listened to their music, watched their TV

shows, and read their books—all of which was way more appealing than my own, more age-appropriate stuff. And like Riley, I used to try on their clothes and makeup when they were out with their friends, though I suspect that revelation will come as no surprise to them!

Where do you write your books?

I have a home office where I put in very, very long hours seven days a week—but I have the best job in the world, so I’m not complaining!

Have you always wanted to be a

writer?

Well, first, I wanted to be a mermaid, and then a princess, but ever since sixth grade when I finished reading my first Judy Blume book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Mar-garet, I decided I’d rather write instead. I’d always been an avid reader, but Judy Blume’s books were some of the first that I could directly relate to, and I knew then that someday I wanted to try to write like that too.

What would you do if you ever

stopped writing?

Oh, I shudder to even think about it. I truly can’t imagine a life without writing. Though I suppose I’d probably start traveling more.

I’ve traveled a good bit already, both when I was working as a flight attendant and just on my own, but there are still so many places left to explore. Oh, and I’d probably enroll in some art classes too—painting, jewelry making, crafty stuff like that.

What would your readers be most

surprised to learn about you?

Not long ago, every time I finished writing a book I would celebrate by cleaning my house, which, I have to say, was sorely in need of it by then. But recently, I’ve come to realize just how very sad and pathetic that is, so now I get a pedicure instead (and save the housecleaning for another day)!