Behind the Scenes of the Big Reveal

Happy Fun Fact Friday!

Today, I want to take you behind the curtain and talk about one of the most difficult and exhilarating scenes I’ve ever written: the big reveal in Claimed by Night. As I’ve teased, my book starts as a grounded thriller and then, in one pivotal scene, turns into a dark, urban fantasy. Crafting that turn was everything.

The scene where Daemon confronts Liz and Maya in the booth, where the word "witch" is finally spoken, was rewritten more times than I can count. It’s the pivot on which the entire story turns. The pressure to get it right was immense! For me, a reveal like this has to feel both completely shocking and, in hindsight, absolutely inevitable.

To achieve that, I had to ensure all the groundwork was laid. Daemon's unnatural presence, the waitress Millie's gut feeling—all those little moments of "wrongness" had to lead here. It’s the kind of scene that keeps a writer up at night, tweaking dialogue and shaving sentences to get the pacing just right. I'm so proud of where it landed, and I can't wait for you to experience that floor-dropping-out moment for yourselves.

May your reveals be earned,

June Skye