And bringing you today’s huge news…I finished final edits of IF I SHOULD DIE…the last book of the DIE FOR ME trilogy! !!! !!! !!!
Which, believe it or not, is much huger news for me, personally, than pressing my body against Ian Somerhalder’s.
Our very close friend, Ian
Maybe MAJOR is the word I should be using. Not huge.
So in the context of this major event, I would like to celebrate a little bit with you. My favorite readers. And since I can’t hug you all individually, I will do the next best thing and give you a deleted scene from UNTIL I DIE.
(No, I will not give you a quote or deleted scene from Book 3. Book 2 has only been out a month in English speaking countries. And you have not yet bought it for your sister or brother or mom or best friend. Which you could do right now. But…if enough of you actually do buy it in the next week, I might be tempted to give you a couple of lines from IF I SHOULD DIE Chapter 1. 🙂 )
ANYWAY…
For our “I finished the end of the trilogy” celebration, here is a scene that was cut from Book 2.
SPOILERS WARNING TO THOSE WHO HAVEN’T READ ‘UNTIL I DIE’:
Instead of Kate catching a glimpse of the evil fur-coat-wearing numa Nicolas in Pere Lachaise cemetery, (UNTIL I DIE, Chapter 5) I got all Buffy and melodramatic. And this is how it went down:
I looked directly up into a pair of pale grey eyes. Sneering lips parted to show nicotine-stained teeth, which clenched as the enormous man grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me over his shoulder as easily as if I were a rag doll.
“You’re ours now, little girlie,” he said, as he joined two men who waited under a nearby tree. The three men practically oozed evil. There was only one thing they could be. Rising bile stung my throat as I realized that I was being carried off by a band of numa.
The rain had cleared the tourists from the cemetery, allowing us to move unimpeded towards the front gates. Even though there was no one to hear me, I screamed, kicking and hitting my captor as I tried to flail out of his grasp.
“We were planning on using you as bait, but I have nothing against killing you right here on the spot if you so much as wriggle,” the numa walking behind us said. “In fact, girlie, I take that back. You just keep on moving. I feel like eviscerating something today.” He pulled a gigantic hunting knife out of his coat and twisted it inches from my face. I shut up and went limp, letting myself be carried like a bag of potatoes past row after row of tombs.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked softly after a few minutes.
“Home,” the man carrying me grunted.
“Our home,” the knife-wielder said.
“Where we’ll have plenty of time to play with our new toy before her boyfriend comes to rescue her,” said the third, with a deranged-sounding laugh that froze me with fright.
“Playtime’s over,” came a fourth voice from nearby. “Put her down.” I knew this voice: it was the voice I heard in all of my dreams. I allowed myself a split second to close my eyes in relief before giving one violent thrash with my entire body, causing my captor to lose his hold on me. I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees, and using an evasive technique Gaspard had taught me, rolled a few feet out of the way before springing back to my feet, my hands lifted in fists before me.
Vincent was striding towards us through the tombstones, his dark face lethal. In his clenched jaw and stone-cold eyes I caught a glimpse of the wild inconscient warrior he must have been during his vengeance-wreaking years after the war. Without slowing his pace, he passed a statue of a guardian angel, grabbed the marble sword from its hand, breaking it off at the hilt, then swung it at the head of my attacker, felling him with one violent blow. The man lie motionless on the ground as his two cronies backed up a step, one brandishing the hunting knife and the other drawing a sword.
Vincent ran to my side, pulling me further away from the numa, and revealing Ambrose and Arthur, who stepped out from behind him.
“Just having a little fun,” said one of the numa, in a creepily reptilian voice. His eyes darted from side to side as he backed up, and I could see him weighing whether or not he could make a run for it.
“Us too,” Ambrose said, and wrenching an iron spike off of a metal gate, he thrust it through the knife-wielding monster, picking him up off of the ground as if he weighed as much as a pillow, and threw him to one side.
Arthur went after the third numa, drawing two short swords from inside his coat. They sparred for a few minutes, the ancient revenant’s two-weapon technique confusing his challenger. This drew jeers from Ambrose who was watching them like it was a spectator sport. His taunting befuddled the numa even more, who made a few useless jabs before Arthur moved forward, swinging his swords like a turbine, stabbing the man through the heart with one, and swiftly beheading him with the other.
“He might be ancient as the hills, but you got to give the guy top points for style,” Ambrose crowed.
Arthur threw one sword each to Vincent and Ambrose, who dispatched of their own victims’ heads, while Arthur took out a cell phone and spoke softly into it, telling Jean-Baptiste that they needed to dispose of three bodies. He slipped the phone back into his coat pocket and nodded to Vincent. “Your ambulance driver will pick them up and have them cremated before the day’s out,” he said. “I’ll wait here with the bodies until he arrives.”
“Aww, now that’s a real shame,” said Ambrose. “If we built a bonfire right here, I’ll bet we could attract a whole drum circle of hippie kids from Jim Morrison’s grave and have a regular ol’ marshmallow roast.”
“Ambrose,” I said, my faculty of speech finally returning, “that’s disgusting.” I looked at the mutilated bodies on the ground and felt sick. Vincent was back by my side in a flash and pulled me to him, hiding my face from the gore.
“Aw, now, Katie-Lou,” Ambrose replied. “They’re just monsters. There’s no such thing as respect for the dead in their case. It’s just good riddance and move on.”
“I know that,” I said. “I’ve killed one myself. I’m just not used to seeing…”
“It’s okay, Kate. Don’t look,” Vincent put an arm around my shoulder, steering me away from the bloody scene. “I’ll take you home now.”
His voice was calm, but his face showed an emotion that I had never seen there. It was fear. Even though Vincent had looked as dangerous as a mercenary while he fought, underneath it all he had been afraid. For me.
22 Comments to Huge News (plus deleted scene)
by shelby von wahl - On June 12, 2012
wow… i’m sorry that wasn’t in the book… i loved it!
by Lori T. - On June 12, 2012
Congrats, Amy! I’m so excited for you and for the completion of IF I SHOULD DIE. As much as I hate for the trilogy to be finished, all good things must come to an end. Now, it’s time for you to celebrate! 🙂
by BethDazzled - On June 12, 2012
Ooo super Buffyrrific deleted scene. Although I recognize that statue sword move of Vincent’s from a later battle. Guess not everything was left on the editing room floor. 😉 MAJOR congrats on finishing Kate’s story!
by Carol K - On June 12, 2012
Loved it. Thanks for sharing it!!!
by Brandy - On June 12, 2012
Congrats on finishing the last book in the series! I can’t wait till next May to buy it. This scene was amazing and wish it was left in but glad we got to read it anyways!
by Jenny N - On June 12, 2012
Congratulations on the completion of such a labor of love. I also want to say thank you for all the juicy morsels on this site and in the post that you generously share with your fans. So, when’s the movie coming out?
by Denise Garcia - On June 12, 2012
I just finished Until I Die yesterday. I can’t wait fr the last novel to come out.
by lou jenner - On June 12, 2012
I have just finished until i die and cant wait for If i should die. May seems along way away but will be worth the wait.
by Sid - On June 12, 2012
I really want the 3rd book to come out they r so good is there anyway it can come out sooner than may 2013?
by Jennifer Carmical - On June 13, 2012
I also finished the book last night. I was a bit broken hearted and while I’m eager for the next book, I wanted you to take the time you needed. So hearing your news makes me very happy! Thank you so much, not just for the story, but for giving me a glimpse of Paris. I studied French more than 10 years ago et j’ai oubliais plus que je souveni, but thanks to you I have a list of places in Paris I’m determined to see some day!
by amy - On June 13, 2012
So glad you guys enjoyed that. It also gives you a glimpse of “rough” writing…before it’s been edited to “perfection”. 🙂
Thank you all for your congratulations. I still can’t believe that I’ve finished 4 books. I would have thought you were crazy if you told me that five years ago.
Hurray!
by Emberchyld (Carli) - On June 13, 2012
Loved it, Amy! (though I love the scene from the book, too– melodramatic and Buffy is just as much fun as mysterious and creepy.)
Congrats on finishing “If I Should Die”! Time for some macarons 🙂 and… next book? 🙂
by Becky - On June 13, 2012
oh my goodness, that was amazing!!!!
When I finished Until I Die I was like ‘OMG!!!!!’ and then I found out about If I Should Die and was like ‘EEEEEP YAYAYAYAY!!!!!’
I think it’s safe to say that I’m pretty much in love with the Die For Me series :’)
by Jayjay Atanacio - On June 14, 2012
Congrats on finishing If I Should Die Amy <3
Now I cannot wait for the cover reveal… still hoping we get a Vincent this time 😉
by Rose B - On June 14, 2012
I loved Until I Die! And can’t wait for the next book (Well Done for finishing it!!!)
Although i loved every moment of the first scene, this scene would of suited it perfectly as well…thanks for posting it 😀
by Natalie Parker - On June 15, 2012
This is a great deleted scene, It is a shame it wasn’t added in the book, though i enjoyed reading it and the book and also reading Vincent’s Point of view!
Well done on the edit finish of ‘If i should Die, i cannot wait to read it! it’s almost agony to wait 11 months till it’s out – I have to know that Kate and Vincent Love can survive!
Looking forward to reading more – Thank you so much for the beautiful story Nx
by Lydia L. - On July 7, 2012
OMG!I LOVED it! You really should have left it in your book. Though,I do recognize some parts that were in the book already. But the book was still great even though you didn’t put it in your book! I especially love the parts where Vincent comes to the rescue and saves Kate! It makes me so happy that I cry! Anyway, keep up the great work!
-One more thing: is there any chance that you could give us the first chapter of “If I Should Die”, or at least the summary? Thanks! 🙂
by amy - On July 11, 2012
Thanks, all! So glad you enjoyed! And Lydia…I can’t, unfortunately, give you the first chapter of IF I SHOULD DIE, but HarperCOllins will be making it available online a few weeks before the book is published. This fall, I’ll start giving teasers, though!
by isabella - On August 17, 2012
Oh that was an amazing scene! i am currently obsessing over these books and can’t wait till if i should die comes out. Vincent is my knight in shining armour and i want my man to be identical to him!
Got all my girl friends to read the books too! so we all obsess over them together!!!
by devu - On October 31, 2012
Tell me Vincent will come back alive..in book 3
by Andrea Rivas - On July 11, 2014
HI Amy Plum
I am writing a research paper about you for my english class. I would like to know what are your writing techniques? On what do you think before you begin to write?
By the way I just finish reading your book After the End and I really enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your stories with us.
Thank You.
by amy - On July 11, 2014
Andrea – you will need to email me. my address is on the Contact page!