Dru Ann’s wonderfully creative “Day in the Life” column gives characters a chance to appear outside the events of the book, but it also does something else pretty cool. It gives lesser seen characters in the book a chance to have more of a day in the sun. In the excerpt below, I let the family’s dog—who becomes a hero by the end of As Night Falls—show you what one terrible night was like for him.
While the Man kept trying to open the Door, McLean clawed long ruts into it. The warm forest smell of wood was comforting.
He rolled over, then got up. His tail wagged, hitting the tips of bottles, deep and dark green glass containing a tart, grapey smell.
McLean stood patiently, his tail pendulum-swinging.
There was a loud noise against the door that separated McLean from his People. The Girl, the Woman, and the Man who was down here with him in the basement.
Then the noise stopped.
A familiar smell rose from the space beneath the door, a dying smell, which would’ve made McLean run away if he’d scented it on an animal in the wild.
But McLean loved the Man and from him he wouldn’t run.
The round circle of metal began to turn.
McLean watched it almost complete a rotation. His ears were aimed like darts, and he was panting. The circle swiveled back. A noise came from outside, the kind of grunt only a human made.
The circle started to turn again.
McLean didn’t care how long it took. He didn’t have the same scale of time as people did. In some deep down place, he knew he had less of it than the People he loved, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It made him free. McLean’s life wasn’t broken into chunks of days, weeks, years. Whatever amount of time something took had to be that way, couldn’t be any other.
The circle spun all the way around.
Then something struck the wood—another loud thud—and the door swung open.
The Man began to pull himself inside.
A sense of confusion descended over McLean.
The Man was not on two feet. He wasn’t even on all fours. He lay flat and moved like another sort of creature entirely. A worm, or the snakes McLean had learned to hate after being bitten by the one the First Man he belonged to kept in a cage.
The Man McLean now loved was the source of the dying smell, but beneath it his familiar odor still lingered. McLean stalked in his direction, careful not to tread upon him, though he couldn’t angle his paws as precisely as he once could, back when he had more of the thing called time.
He didn’t touch the Man. Not because McLean was afraid of the dying smell, but because he couldn’t bear to cause the Man pain.
McLean knew pain, but this Man had never caused him any, and for that and other reasons, McLean loved him.
The Man pulled himself the rest of the way into the room, McLean nudging him ever so lightly, stopping when the Man let out a noise like McLean used to make when the First Man yelled at him.
The Man lay there, heaving on the floor for another length of unmarked time.
McLean stood over him. He would do this for however long the Man needed him to. Until that smell changed or went away.
But the Man began to speak, not in his usual voice; this was more like a growl.
One word repeated over and over in a nest of sounds that formed a soothing hum, despite the Man’s low moans and shivering mutters, which were far less comforting.
One word.
Kill.
McLean leaned down. He licked the Man’s face until it was completely clean.
Then he moved into the open space, which felt bigger and colder than the Arctic plain where his ancestors had come from. McLean didn’t want to go out there on his own. But he had made it a long way by himself already.
McLean turned back once, sniffing.
Then he trotted up the stairs to find the People he and the Man loved.
You can read more about McLean and his family in As Night Falls, published by Ballantine Books.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on July 6 for the chance to win a copy of AS NIGHT FALLS that will be personally signed at NYC’s greatest mystery bookstore, Mysterious Bookshop. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected.
Bonus giveaway The author is also giving away an “As Night Falls” gift bag.
About the author
Jenny Milchman is the Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of two prior psychological thrillers, Cover of Snow and Ruin Falls. For the past two years, Jenny has gone out on what Shelf Awareness calls “the world’s longest book tour”. She invites readers to find her on the web at jennymilchman.com–and then come find her on the road!
Wow! This sounds like a terrific read. I can’t wait to get my hands on all three of Jenny Milchman’s books. Thanks for a chance in this giveaway. I’d share my print with my local library (where I work!).
Wow, how intense
Aww, I wanna give McLean a hug! The book sounds exciting. Thank you for the giveaway.
myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
All of her books are great. Thanks for the giveaway.
I haven’t read any of Jenny Milchman’s yet, but hope to soon. Thank you for this opportunity.
Good morning, everyone! Thank you, Dru, for having me to your blog to celebrate Pub Day! And thanks for reading about my rescue dog, Mac, (about whose real life counterpart you can read in the acknowledgements of the book 🙂 I do appreciate your interest in my books…thank you, Sally Cootie, for having discovered them already, and thank you, Peggy, Jen, and Ktbee, for wanting to read…
Congratulations, Jenny! And very intense scene! Love it.
This one sounds like one I must own.
Kristi, great to get to cyber see you this morning! Amy, thank you for these kind words. They mean a lot on a jittery pub day when all authors, well, me anyway, basically feel like: Will anybody read my book???????????????????? Ooops. Sorry to go all hysterical on Dru’s blog 🙂 But it’s the truth, right?
I love McLean! I hope to win this and learn more about him.
Thanks, Gail! I love him too 🙂
I would love to read this book—thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Thanks, Sheila!
Happy Pub Day, Jenny! I would love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for being a part of pub day, Jennifer 🙂
As Night Falls sounds like an intriguing book! I enjoyed the post from McLean’s perspective. Thank you for sharing and for the contest!
I love books. Especially free books. I thank you for the opportunity to win.
Connie, I agree, books are gold.
Wow, would love to win this book, ty
I love the cover of As Night Falls. No doubt it will be a gripping, page turning read – same as Cover of Snow and Ruin Falls
Loved your first two. This one also sounds great.
Debby, it’s great to see you here. Thank you for your kind words. I emailed you an invite to a launch party, if that turns out to work…would love to see you again.
And thank you, Betty–both Betty’s! So glad you find it intriguing…
Elaine, I am so glad. Thanks for letting me know…
What an introduction to this author! I’d really like to read this book.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sue, Roch, and Marylou, thanks so much for making me a new-to-you author…
Carl and Sharon, thank you…I do think he’s a great dog myself 🙂
I’ve never read anything by this author, so this sounds like a great one to swtart with.
Sounds like it will be a riveting story. Would like to give it a try.
thanks.
What a great dog! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book, I’m sure we’d really enjoy it.
What a great giveaway. Sounds intriguing. Many thanks.
Breathtaking. Loved it. Going to Amazon now.
Aw, Kait, thank you, you made my (late) night!
How great is that, learning how a dog thinks! Sounds like an awesome book.
Mary Jane, that was the fun part for me…
Prentiss, thank you for saying so. Means a lot.
Wanda, nice to meet you here!
I love Jenny’s books!
I would love to read this
Sounds awesome! Thanks for introducing me to a new author and thanks for the chance!
Thanks for being here, Barbara!
Sounds fascinating!
JTT, I’m glad you think so!
Jenny, as usual, your work sings, it’s music to my ears.
What a beautiful thing to say, about singing. Thank you…
Jenny ~ fabulous character to choose! I can’t wait to read tis one!
Thank you, Connie 🙂 I do love Mac…
Loved the excerpt ….can’t wait to read more!
Thank you, Verna, I’m so glad you feel that way!
Scary. I was terrified reading the blurb.
CJ, it is a scary book apparently, but I promise it ends well 🙂
Fabulous introduction! Thanks for a chance at winning this book. It sounds great!
Donna, good luck in the giveaway! (Or else come out and see me on the road. I’ll personally sign a copy 🙂
Love stories with animals.
Barbara, I love writing animals. In my first book there’s a black Lab named Weekend.
Great contest thank you
Nice to see you, Wanda!
Would love to win.
Happy to meet you, Katrina!
would like to give this book a try……..
thank you for the giveaway…….
Happy you came by, Cyn!
Thanks Jenny for commenting and interacting with my readers.
Contest is closed.