Skyler Seabrooke lives for helping animals. Those in need of saving, she saves. Those in need of fostering, she fosters. Skyler is a hard-working employee at the local animal shelter, and has dedicated more than half her life to rescuing and caring for animals in need.
When Skyler gets a call about an abandoned animal on the outskirts of town, she doesn't hesitate to go out and rescue it before the animal succumbs to the elements. This infant is different, though, and as it begins to grow under Skyler's foster care, she realizes she is caring for something that doesn't belong in her home. It's something big—something dangerous. Skyler knows allowing it to stay with her isn't safe, but the love she has for her foster pet is overpowering her sense of right and wrong.
As the repercussions for keeping such a dangerous animal become horrifically apparent to Skyler, she is forced to make a difficult decision. Just how far is she willing to go to protect the foster pet she has come to love? She needs to decide quickly, though, because unbeknownst to Skyler, time is running out for the both of them.
Danielle McCrory was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. She attended school in Tucson and Flagstaff, and has degrees in Graphic Design and Physical Therapy. She currently lives in Tucson with her husband, Ryan McCrory, and their two cats, Brodi and Jaxson.
Danielle loves horror movies, animals, rainy days, and Halloween. In addition to her love for all things scary, she is also an avid reader and lover of books. Danielle’s love for reading was passed along by her father, who taught Danielle how to read with Goosebumps books, of which she had many. Danielle then went on to read Fear Street novels, before turning to Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Michael Connolly. Danielle’s favorite author is Stephen King.
While Danielle often entertained the idea of becoming a writer, she didn’t give the dream much serious thought until her father passed away from cancer in 2020. She turned to writing as a way to cope with her loss, and ended up writing a full length novel about a young girl who also lost her father. This novel, Wasp Canyon, follows a grieving girl as she makes a horrific discovery on a hiking trail and finds herself battling demons much darker—and much more dangerous—than her grief alone.
Danielle loves writing because she believes there are still so many scary stories left untold, and she is thrilled to get the opportunity to tell some of these stories. She is currently working on her next two novels, which she plans to release next year. Danielle’s love for writing continues to grow, and she is always looking for more books to add to her library.
“There’s nothing like curling up with a hot cup of coffee, a cozy blanket, and the most gruesome horror novel you can find.” -Danielle McCrory
Skyler Seabrooke has some tough decisions to make. Will the love in her heart rule or will the common sense of a young woman take over? "Foster" is the author's sophomoric addition following her first novel, "Wasp Canyon". This one is even more exciting than the first one! I was up all night reading because I couldn't put it down. I recommend you begin with "Wasp Canyon" and continue on CAUTIOUSLY with "Foster". I say "CAUTIOUSLY" because it WILL keep you awake!
My bookshelf now has two Danielle McCrory books on it! How long must I wait for a trio???
Wow, that kept me surprised and hooked from the start to the last. Very cinematic feeling. This would be a great movie. I loved Skyler and her dynamic with Athena. I think what made this as good as it was had to do with how plausible it was -Athena's origin, her rescue, Skyler protecting and loving her even after she knew what was up, Athena's loving and protecting Skyler in return.
Only one thing bugged me, and it's a little thing, I know, but while Athena is an active participant of the Trojan War in the Illiad, she's not a war goddess - she's always been known as being the goddess of wisdom.
I started to read a book about caring for and loving animals and realized it was so much more. A young animal shelter worker is called out on a wet, cold night to rescue a tiny creature. Fostering it resulted in a strong bond between them. She watched it grow and grow and it developed some strange and somewhat scary features. She will be able to decide its future. The reader can think about what he might decide. This is a novel about choices and their consequences. It is a fun and suspenseful thriller with plenty of twists and turns. It's well written and exceeded my expectations!
This book has a plot that is truly unique! A saber toothed tiger kitten that is rescued by a woman who fosters sick and injured animals through an animal rescue group, and has issues of her own. I read this in two sittings because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it!
The story was original and very cool. The writing was good and the pace fast and kept me engaged. I am going to read her first book and looking forward to what this author writes next!
The story follows Skyler Seabrooke, an animal rescue worker who fosters various of the abandoned and injured animals she encounters during the course of her working day. Living alone in her childhood home, Skyler has the space, the time, and dedication to keep the animals safe and loved while they grow, gather their strength and wait for their forever homes. Of course, it breaks her heart when the pets have to leave her care, but their happiness and security is more important to her than anything else and, like any decent hero, Skyler has a troubled past and a decidedly murky future.
Because when Skyler brings home Athena, a sickly kitten the rescue centre vet doesn't think has much hope of survival, she is determined to keep her alive─even if she has to keep her a secret. As Athena continues to grow, it becomes clear that she is not what she first appeared to be, and quickly, the line between right and wrong becomes decidedly blurry.
'Skyler went back to the flashlight and panned it around the underside of the house. Where the hell did the gray one go? The smell of dank soil was getting overwhelming, and her knees were beginning to feel damp. Her arms prickled with gooseflesh in the cool air, and she wanted to get back out into the sunshine. But not without the gray one. "You can hide all you want, little guy, but I'm not leaving here without you," she called into the darkness.
'Skyler pivoted on her hands and knees, turning her body in a circle. She had almost made it back to her starting position when the flashlight picked up on something huddled in the corner─a small ball of gray fur. She crawled toward it, slow and steady, keeping her flashlight pointed straight ahead. She was five feet away when the gray ball turned to look at her, its eyes lighting up in the warm glow of the flashlight.
'The gray kitten attempted to dart away, back into the darkness and away from Skyler. She lunged at it, landing face down in the mud with her arms outstretched. She turned her head to the side and took in a breath of air. Grains of bitter soil fell into her mouth and she spit them out, trying not to gag. She struggled to her knees and elbows, keeping her hands together. Little needles poked at her fingers, one managing to make it through the leather of her glove and then sinking into her thumb.'
4%, Chapter One, Foster: A Love Story by Danielle McCrory
Frankly, there were lots of scenes I wanted to quote, but I couldn't without giving away some pivotal plot points. Fact is, I loved this story. The writing was powerful, with shades of Stephen King, and the voice was strong and fresh. Part horror book, part love story, it all slotted together perfectly for me. The characters were well-constructed. I really liked that the protagonist was not without flaws; that made her much more believable and, actually, likeable, for me. The baddies were very dangerous; proceed with caution, it is a horror and they deserve to be there. An awesome read.
Not your classic horror, but a fun, different read.
I read through this fairly quickly. I like the author’s writing style. Pretty well edited and a different story line. I also read Wasp Canyon by this author. It too is a good story.