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For themost certainly is not I have to thank , a talented, witty lady who always keeps ht You’ve made me a better writer, friend Thank you

Moreover, thank you to Viviana Varona for giving Killian and Skylar’s story that final look-through, ensuring I’ their love story out into the world as polished as can be

This is a story I beca The world around me ceased to exist until all of Skylar’s tale spilled out of ertips In order to have that kind of extraordinary alone ti care ofin another universe I love you all Thank you for understanding!

And thank you toall the little things and supportingYou’re my Rockstar

The life of a writer doesn’t stop with the book Our job expands beyond the written word to e way Thank you to er PR KP, you make my life easier! Thank you for all you and your tearammer and book lover who has helped spread the word about my books You all are appreciated so much! On that note, a massive thank you to all the fantastic readers in roup Sam’s Clan McBookish YouLe You create the most beautiful art and the cover for AS DUST DANCES is no exemption It’s one ofat it It fits Skylar’s story so perfectly

And thank you to Christine Borgford at Type A For this book look stylish for ent Lauren Abra it possible for readers all over the world to find rateful for you

Finally, to you ow, Scotland

MY MUSIC FILLED THE AIR, creating a surrounding bubble of e to me in so ray clouds silvered the blond buildings and dulled the boldness of the red sandstone architecture thaton the hfare in the city center, I stood far enough from the shop entrance behind h out that I’d feel in the way of shoppers passing by I playedUnlike soular basis, I didn’t have their fancy portable PA systems with amps andto draw people in

I never felt like a nuisance busking in Glasgow It was the only tier to me and I to it I felt like a part of a city that loved its ow’s skin, music was its heartbeat While I’d made peace with the idea that life had brokena beat in the rhythow’s soul s upbeat and decided to do a twist on a well-known pop or dance song, I’d draw in a crowd That was usually on a Saturday, like today, when people were shopping and feeling relaxed, where they weren’t rushing past on their lunch break to get back to work

Mostly, however, people either kept walking on by, or they dropped souitar case as they briskly ular workers who dropped the change in like it had become a habit Not that I minded Unlike those buskers with their fancy PA systeet found" on the streets of Glasgow by having my bestie film me on his camera phone and upload it toso I could buy a ood day,center so I could use one of their showers and a hair dryer On the days I didn’t h money, I had what the local homeless called a "tramp’s wash" I had to strip off in my tent and use baby wipes to clean uitar case as I sang, I thanked God that today it looked like I’d have enough for that shower

Nodding irls as they dropped so I’d chosen to fit the weather "So one like it always did I pulled it out of the bag when I really needed the cash I have a good enough vocal range to sing Adele but anyone can have a good vocal range and still not be able to sell a song You have to be able to fall into the lyrics and sing a song like you wrote it Which is est tis so that wasn’t a proble was different People didn’t really want to listen to unfaht have been an issue for

But nowwell, now I could sing sad songs like athered around ers’ eyes I loved that part of perfor people feel like that I just hated all the other shit that ca the time of our lives, I felt those words deep in my soul I controlled a voice crack on the word "lives" and found a fa the frizzle of awareness that zinged downhiive a damn that he was there He didn’t scare me He didn’t creep me out Didn’t he know that I was unshakeable these days?

I didn’t know theabout him except that he had the kind of presence that made everyone else around him fade At around six foot he wasn’t overly tall; he had an athletic build so it wasn’t really his size that made you look It was a quality I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were because he’d never gotten close enough, just that they appeared dark, and they were intense There was a hardness to his expression, a remoteness that seemed at odds with his apparent interest in my performance Today he stood apart from the small crowd, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his head tilted slightly as he listened with that aloof countenance

When I got to the part about finding "so sky from beneath the brim of my fedora, my tone as mournful as those heavy clouds above After the final struered in the air, I lowered entle applause settle over an singing an original song Like I said, s that were fawriter and it was difficult fora set Plus, I’d noticed over the last feeeks that the stranger only walked away after I sang one of s

Weird but true

Al to listen to the Adele song stayed to listen towith its sad lyrics When I finished, a few ca me praise, even thanks It was hard to watch the people alked aithout offering me a token of appreciation, so I let them fade out in ive h there for a meal, a shower, and use of the laundroh, I’d tell thee your socks every day There was a laundromat a twenty-minute walk from where I’d pitchedpool I could wash and dry the few clothes I had and keep rateful, I was filled with slish accent I would’ve faked a Scottish accent if I could but it always caood at a generic southern English accent so I ith that Why fake an accent at all? Well, I didn’t want anyone recognizing me, and if they put ht get complicated