Luthier's Apprentice, The (23 page)

He leaned forward to lift the fledgling maple from the ground, then, falling on his knees, he planted it carefully in the hole. His long fingers kneaded the soft moist earth.

Once he finished, he rose to his feet and drew back to appreciate his work.

There was something disturbing about the tree. It looked askew. From his perspective, it tilted slightly to the right.

He pushed it a bit toward the left to straighten it out, then he stepped back to study it.

Hmm. It still leans to the right.

He walked away and from a distance crouched to examine it from a lower perspective. And then it hit him. The lower part of the trunk, the one close to the ground, was straight; it was only the upper part of it which tilted to the right, which meant that no matter how he planted it, it would always look slightly off-kilter.

Van Ketts stood up. His thin lips, marred with wrinkles, slowly spread into a dark smile.

As he headed back into the house he thought he heard the faint sound of violin music…

As always, to my mom, Taner and Melisa, for their undying cheers, enthusiasm and support.

My awesome publisher, Lida Quillen, for believing in the story.

My fabulous SCBWI critique partners—Dina, Michelle, and Nathalie—for their continuous advice, insight, and cheerleading. My writing life wouldn’t be the same without you!

My spectacular editors, Deborah Halverson and Barb Caffrey, for their fine help with the manuscript.

Mary Emmons, wonderful friend and copy editor extraordinaire. Not much escapes your eagle eyes.

My great friend and incredibly talented artist Sally Bostrom, who was brave enough to read through the first draft as I wrote it, and who kept urging me to go on.

My dynamo writer friends Kathleen and Irene, who are always there to offer support and a sympathetic ear when I’m feeling the writing blues. Their commitment to work and their prolificacy are an inspiration.

Vali Bernuzzi, for her help with the Italian at the last minute!

Finally, with gratitude to The National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where seven years ago this story was born.

About the author

Award-winning author Mayra Calvani has penned over ten books for children and adults in genres ranging from picture books to satire to paranormal fantasy novels. She’s had over 300 articles, short stories, interviews and reviews published in print and online magazines. She has lived in America, Asia, the Middle East, and is now settled in Brussels, Belgium.

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