Home renovations… so much fun. When we moved to Maryland, we bought a home that needed updates…

When our contractor ripped up our old flooring, we found plywood underneath. No surprise that. What did strike me as odd, however, was that most of the plywood was of the distressed, walked upon type. Except for this one, odd patch. A patch that has been beneath our sofa for the last four months, beneath the flooring that I *believe* to be original to the building (31 years).

As the dust literally settled, I thought, “Hmm. Must be where they buried the body.”

My eldest son arrived home from school later that day and, as I’ve done an excellent job raising him, immediately began to make references to Edgar Allan Poe’s work. Here he is for you, stretched out upon the floor to illustrate the possibility:

Not content to stop there, the two of us determined that something had to be done for the future owners of our home. For when they decide to renovate the flooring. Specifically, we needed a chalk outline.

It’s there now, sealed beneath new floorboards, waiting.

What’s under that newish plywood? I’ve no idea.

But what will be under the sofa come next Halloween? I’ve a little under a year to locate a specific audio device…

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

About Anne

Though USA TODAY bestselling author Anne Renwick holds a Ph.D. in biology and greatly enjoyed tormenting the overburdened undergraduates who were her students, fiction has always been her first love. Today, she writes steampunk romance, placing a new kind of biotech in the hands of mad scientists, proper young ladies and determined villains.

Anne brings an unusual perspective to steampunk. A number of years spent locked inside the bowels of a biological research facility left her permanently altered. In her steampunk world, the Victorian fascination with all things anatomical led to a number of alarming biotechnological advances. Ones that the enemies of Britain would dearly love to possess.

To chat with Anne, stop by on Facebook or join the Department of Cryptobiology Facebook group. You can also join her newsletter list to have cover reveals, sneak peaks, sales and giveaways delivered straight to your inbox.