Hi, there! I’m SamiJo McQuiston, author of Abney Kelly & the Yuletide Shenanigans. My inspiration came from two places. First, I wanted to write a main character for girls who were imperfect and terribly human. I wanted a character that helped them to realize that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Secondly, my inspiration came from a need to survive. I was in an abusive relationship, and I couldn’t see a way out. I was ready to give up when I wrote the first paragraph. Then every day, I wrote a little more. As the story took shape, I grew stronger. Eventually, I pulled myself up and out, and without Abney reminding of what I was capable of, I would still be there, or I wouldn’t be at all. This book saved my life.
Abney Kelly seems like your typical thirteen-year-old trying to find her place in the world. She’s shy, awkward, has no friends, and is bullied constantly. However things are not always as they appear, after being pushed into a clover patch, a creature who says he’s her assigned guardian whisks her off to a school in Tìr na nÓg, called Yule.
Turns out she’s a Changeling, and it’s time she learns what that means. Between making new friends, discovering that all the monsters in her nightmares are real, and starting at a new school, Abney didn’t think life could get any harder as she splits her time between the human and Fae realms.
That is until her house matron warns them about Nicholas Kringle. He is stalking his prey throughout realms and collecting the hearts of those on his so-called nice list. At a New Year’s Eve party, Abney and her new gang use an Ouija board and discover that one of their friends is on Kringle’s list.
Determined to stop their friend’s death, Abney and company set off on a chilly adventure, to try to change fate, but only one thing is for certain… This year they’ll end up on the naughty list or die trying.
RAP SHEET
SamiJo is a first-class shenanigator, decorated coddiwompler, narrator, and author of, The Abney Kelly series. She lives in Wyoming with her dog, two cats, and four chickens. She participates in tomfoolery frequently and plans to get into waggishness in the future. Vive La Pete!
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Oh wow, this sounds fun and intriguing!!