There’s an update on our timeline! Beyond Shame is through developmental edits and is in the hands of several final readers before heading to final proofing. We’re hoping to have a soft release date by late September (which means final copies will be available for reviewers and starting to appear on retailers) with an “official” release date sometime in the first week of October. Since this is our first time doing this, we may have some tweaks to the timeline, but we’re in the end stages!
Because of that, we’ve decided to post the first three chapters of Beyond Shame online for anyone who’s been interested in just what this project is. These chapters might not be identical to the final product, but no substantial changes should be made between now and release day.
She’d been cast out of Eden and straight into Hell.
Noelle had never seen anything as menacing as the Sector Four slums at twilight. Back in the city, the buildings were elegant, each carefully planned to fit the aesthetic of those around it, each maintained by silent crews of landscapers and cleaners tasked with making every inch of the city sparkle. Shining towers with crystal windows reflected the endless blue sky, and straight roads intersected at perfect angles.
Here, in the slums outside Eden, squat, ugly buildings seemed dropped with careless imprecision. The roads followed no logic she could discern. Brick and wood alike were dark with soot from generators spitting smoke into the air. Graffiti covered the walls, lewd curses and symbols she couldn’t begin to decipher. Garbage littered the cracked asphalt and dirt paths, broken glass and suspicious liquids. Noelle swallowed the pain of her ridiculous high heels and picked a careful path toward the end of the street.
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