One tragic day in a shopping mall, Kevin Husby turns his back on his infant daughter for just an instant - and the unthinkable happens. Someone abducts her. Twenty years later, divorced and alone, Kevin is living a hollow existence in New York when he meets a mysterious homeless man in a top hat.

SCOTT WILLIAM CARTER's first novel, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a "touching and impressive debut." His fantasy novel, Wooden Bones, is due out from Simon and Schuster in the summer of 2012. His short stories have appeared in dozens of popular magazines and anthologies, including Asimov's, Analog, Ellery Queen, Realms of Fantasy, and Weird Tales. He lives in Oregon with his wife, two children, and thousands of imaginary friends. Read more about his work at www.swcarter.com.