Shannon Humphrey

Hope Defined Shannon Humphrey

Publisher Marketing: HOPE The torture began in sixth grade. Hope should never have told the other kids in Opal Lake that she has weird dreams. Or that these dreams inspire her to invent objects that fly. Now in eighth grade, she's the outsider nobody wants. Things get worse when Hope takes the top grade in science. She becomes a threat to eighth grade queen Caitlin Crawford and her privileged clique for the school's highest award, the prestigious Sky Honors. Caitlin preys on Hope's loneliness and concocts a scheme. As Hope's life spirals, the dreams won't stop. Why does the girl in them look like a perfect version of her? DINAH Perfection is the only way of life the Scions know. In Tavos, they exist in peace, traveling through the galaxies, creating planets and manipulating stars. The standard of achievement is nothing less than excellence. Until the hard voices awaken Dinah. Deep punches pierce her. And the desperate eyes pull at her insides. A mysterious force begins to crack the perfect equilibrium of their world. Neither King Aleph nor Dinah's father gives her the answers she seeks. Who is the withering young female in those horrible visions? What does it mean to... suffer? Dinah is bold enough to pursue her own truth. But is she strong enough to handle Hope's? Contributor Bio:  Brynie, Faith Faith Hickman Brynie is a writer specializing in science and health; she holds a Ph. D. in Science Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Colorado. She is a frequent writer for the children's science magazine Odyssey as well as the editor of various elementary school science textbooks. Contributor Bio:  Art, Phatpuppy I was born in Phoenix, AZ, where I still reside, despite the horrendous summer months. I currently live in a suburb of Phoenix with my husband (a truly wonderful man), two dogs, two cats, and three newts (I love love love animals). Right out of high school, I got recruited into the corporate world and found I had a knack for accounting. I spent seventeen years in various divisions of accounting, but never felt fully satisfied by the turn my life had taken. Of all I had imagined my future to be, chained to a desk was not in any of my plans. In one of those wild moments where you're ready to bungee jump off a building, I quit my job and went to work on opening a dog daycare business, with all the support and love of my husband. As I was planning, I used my free time to start a story. I'd read a book and was rather unhappy with the ending, so I decided to write something I would enjoy. It started out as a secret. It was a side hobby, a release, an escape. But one day, my husband came home early and caught me. Instead of allowing me to continue on in secrecy, he planted a seed of publishing in my mind. The thought of being an author went against everything I had made of my life. Security. Stability. Debit and credits. Cars and houses. Textbook accounting. Writing was creativity; no rules, no certainties of success. And I found it...addicting, exhilarating, and something I absolutely loved doing. The dog daycare idea was unattainable for us, but the writing blossomed into a dream I never bothered to dream. So here I am. Who would've thought?