The earth has been invaded by an alien species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact so that most of humanity has succumbed.
Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human:... read more
Melanie "Mel" Stryder is one of few "wild" humans remaining on earth after invasion. After "insertion" into a human body, alien souls erase the human occupant and establish a claim over the body and mind. Wanderer is a soul who has lived on eight different planets previously, with Mel being... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
“That's not true at all. It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what they say. It's not how you look like in that body, it's what you do with it. You are beautiful.”Ian
“You never know how much time you'll have.”Melanie
“I held you in my hand, Wanderer. And you were so beautiful.”Ian O'Shea
“"The best four letter word in the world is Hope."”
“"'Wanda?' Kyle said.'Yes?''I'm sorry.''Um . . . why?''For trying to kill you,' he said casually. 'Guess I was wrong.'Ian gasped. 'Please tell me you have some kind of recording device available, Doc.''Nope. Sorry, Ian.'Ian shook his head. 'This moment should be preserved. I never thought I'd live to see the day that Kyle O'Shea would admit to being wrong. C'mon, Jodi. That ought to shock you awake.'"”Ian, Wanda, Kyle and Doc
“Ian looked at me for a long minute, then turned to scowl at Jared. He barked out each sentence like an order."Her name is Wanda, not it. You will not touch her. Any mark you leave on her, I will double on your worthless hide."”Ian
“"I could describe us, but could not name us. I sighed for the lost knowledge..."”Wanderer
“Dont worry, Mel. Miracles dont work that way. I'll never lose you, I'll never let you get away from me.”Wanda
“I, the soul named Wanderer, love you, human Ian and that will never change no matter what I might become. If I were a Dolphin or a Bear or a Flower, it wouldn't matter. I would always love you, always remember you. You will be my only partner.”Wanda
“He squeezes my hand,and my heart punches against my ribs. It's like pain, this pleasure”Melanie
“Jared punches Kyle and right after that it goes:"Um," Doc said in a mild voice, "medically speaking, I'm not sure that was the most helpful thing for his condition.""But I feel better," Jared answered, sullen.Doc smiled the tiniest smile. "Well, maybe a few more minutes of unconsciousness won't kill him."”Jared and the Doc
“"here you go, Wanda" Jamie said his hands full of granola bars. "Thanks," I (Wanda) said, taking the bars. "Here you go..." Ian was here, his hands also full of bars. "Beat ya," Jamie told him."Oh," Jared said appering on Jamie's other side. He also had too many bars for one.”
“I didn't let you fall because I'm not like you. I'm not saying that im not... like humans. Because there are humans here who would do the same. There are kind and good people here. People like your brother, and Jeb, and Doc... Im saying that im not like YOU personally”Wanda to Kyle
“Neither hell nor heaven could keep me apart from you Melanie”Jared
“You stupid jackass”Ian
“I'm going to hurt her? I'M GOING TO HURT HER?! You hypocritical swine!”Ian
“And I started to cry again, realizing that it must be changing him, too, this man who was kind enough to be a soul but strong as only a human could be.”Wanda about Ian
“life and love would go on”LILY and Wanda
“"But if you try cuddling up to me tonight...so help me O'shea."”
“It’s not the face, but the expressions on it. It’s not the voice, but what you say. It’s not how you look in that body, but the things you do with it. You are beautiful.”Highlighted by 258 Kindle customers
“In so many millennia, the humans never did figure love out. How much is physical, how much in the mind? How much accident and how much fate? Why did perfect matches crumble and impossible couples thrive? I don’t know the answers any better than they did. Love simply is where it is.Highlighted by 168 Kindle customers
“Even if we all want you here, you don’t belong until you decide you do.”Highlighted by 131 Kindle customers
Perhaps there could be no joy on this planet without an equal weight of pain to balance it out on some unknown scale.Highlighted by 123 Kindle customers
“No point in ignoring the truth. Doesn’t make it worse to have it said out loud.”Highlighted by 100 Kindle customers
“If I were a Dolphin or a Bear or a Flower, it wouldn’t matter. I would always love you, always remember you. You will be my only partner.”Highlighted by 94 Kindle customers
This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds—the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions… the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached.Highlighted by 93 Kindle customers
“There was no hatred in your heart,” I whispered. “That you existed is proof that we were wrong. We had no right to take your world from you, Walter. I hope your fairytales are true. I hope you find your Gladdie.”Highlighted by 90 Kindle customers
He squeezes my hand, and my heart punches against my ribs. It’s just like pain, this pleasure.Highlighted by 78 Kindle customers
Happy and sad, elated and miserable, secure and afraid, loved and denied, patient and angry, peaceful and wild, complete and empty… all of it. I would feel everything. It would all be mine.Highlighted by 66 Kindle customers
Prologue-Inserted
1-Remembered
2-Overheard
3-Resisted
4-Dreamed
5-Uncomforted
6-Followed
7-Confronted
8-Loved
9-Discovered
10-Turned
11-Dehydrated
12-Failed
13-Sentenced
14-Disputed
15-Guarded
16-Assigned
17-Visited
18-Bored
19-Abandoned
20-Freed
21-Named
22-Cracked
23-Confessed
24-Tolerated
25-Compelled
26-Returned
27-Undecided
28-Unenlightened
29-Betrayed
30-Abbreviated
31-Needed
32-Ambushed
33-Doubted
34-Buried
35-Tried
36-Believed
37-Wanted
38-Touched
39-Worried
40-Horrified
41-Vanished
42-Forced
43-Frenzied
44-Healed
45-Succeeded
46-Encircled
47-Employed
48-Detained
49-Interrogated
50-Sacrificed
51-Prepared
52-Seperated
53-Condemned
54-Forgotten
55-Attached
56-Welded
57-Completed
58-Finished
59-Remembered
Epilogue-Continued
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Bonus Chapter-Alone
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