Freaks Alive, on the Inside!

If this is a dream, why does she seem so real?Though Abel Dandy was born to circus performers and grew up in a troupe of odd and inexplicable people, he has never felt limited by his normalcy--until now. Realizing he'll never be more amazing than the talented oddities around him, Abel can only dream of living a life richer than his own.But in his dreams a mysterious woman beckons him, calling him passionately by a name he doesn't know and speaking in a language he's never heard, but fully understands. Compelled by these visions and yearning to be more than ordinary, Abel embarks on a journey more frightening and wondrous than he ever imagined....

Annette Curtis Klause was born in Bristol, England, and moved to the United States when she was a teenager. As a child she spouted such fanciful ideas that her peers thought she was an oddity. Having an imagination turned out to be valuable -- she grew up to become a storyteller. Annette currently lives in the Maryland suburbs with her husband and six cats. Three are from SiameseRescue.org, but none are actually Siamese twins -- although one is the fastest cat on three legs and another likes to balance on top of the scratching post like a circus cat. Annette still works full-time as a children's librarian. Bouncing around like a giant bunny during preschool story time is just another way of being paid to be odd, she says.