engineering, Katz first put her writing skills to use publishing four nonfiction books in the puzzle and game genre. She moved on to writing young adult fiction, her favorite activity. Other favorite pastimes include chauffeuring her kids around town, reading fantasy and sci-fi, baking yummy desserts, watching reality TV, and scrolling social media feeds.Katz applied the Page 69 Test to The Midnight Dance, her debut novel, and reported the following:
From page 69:Visit Nikki Katz's website.
When it seemed like they must’ve gotten lost in the woods, that they’d been circling for far too long and Penny’s legs ached and her eyes had nearly closed with exhaustion, they suddenly burst out of the tree line onto the manicured estate grounds. Penny held her breath as she and Cricket made a mad dash across the drive to the door.In reading through page 69 of The Midnight Dance I think it's a very valid representation of the book. In fact, it includes a pretty big spoiler for the beginning of the novel!
She hated that they were forced to return. Master held all the control and could change her mind on a whim. Perhaps he’d edit her memories of this very night. The thought stopped her in her tracks. Fear swept through her again, rooting her to the ground like one of the trees in the forest they’d just left. “Cricket.” Penny grabbed the edge of his sleeve to stop him.
“Yes?” He was all shadows and puffs of breath in the cool air, but his eyes still made her pulse stutter.
Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “If Master reverts my memories again, makes me forget all that I learned today, will you please find a way to tell me? I—” She choked on the word. “I can’t bear to think of myself going forward, unknowing, letting him manipulate me. I have to know what’s going on, and we have to find a way out.”
Cricket nodded. “Of course. I promise.”
In this excerpt, we see Penny and get a sense of her despair at the things that are happening to and round her. We also see both other main characters (Master and Cricket) referenced. Cricket is the love interest and this scene is one of the first times Penny starts to acknowledge it.
We also get a glimpse of the setting and the estate grounds. The scenes just prior to this one involve Penny and Cricket traveling through the woods to the border where Penny tries to escape but is unable. She is forced to return to the school and is terrified that she will forget all that has happened.
--Marshal Zeringue
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