December's Author of the Month: Heart the Squid

Today we are gathered here in this corner of the internet to honor yet another wonderful author in the THG fandom, known as Heart the Squid!

Heart the Squid has a grand total of three THG stories on ff.net, and yet all three stories demonstrate the skills of a dedicated, skilled writer who truly loves the fandom. Most of her work is character-based, and she really does spend the time to delve into these characters and their journeys, be they canon or original. By the end of each of her fics, the reader feels like they have taken that character's journey, too. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of Mason: A Memoir, her story about Johanna:

Screw that.

Honestly, that's the first thing that goes through my head. No sappy, melodramatic bullshit, just a simple objection. Because there is no way that my name was just called. 

I have things to do. I was supposed to be teaching Wane how to handle a hatchet tomorrow, and what's going to happen to the spider I was going to stick down the back of Sal's shirt? I mean, for christ's sake, I even told mother I'd help make dinner tonight. I was feeling extra benevolent. It's reaping day, even I make an effort to be nice. And now I'm just...done? Sent off to die? So long, Johanna, it's been fun! That's…sudden. Not even a day to get my affairs in order. Who's going to get my stuff? There's not much of it, but Sal would probably appreciate my other shoes (they're girl's shoes, but his are a mess), Wane might like some of my books, when she gets old enough to understand them, and Mother…well, mother can just sell whatever they can't use. 

Barely a second has passed since my name was called, the echo from our stupid Capitol escort's annoying voice is still in the air, microphone feedback still ringing a little. Hardly anyone has even turned to look at me yet. I'm still caught up in my thoughts, unable to move, when an image of Wane's scared face, waving me goodbye from outside the house not ten minutes ago, flashes into my head. And then all of a sudden, I've doubled over and I'm crying like there's no tomorrow. 

Johanna. What the hell are you doing? You don't cry. But I am crying, sobbing into my hands as if I've got a death wish by drowning. Get a grip. GET A GRIP. I try to snap myself out of this episode mentally, but I just cry harder. Then I'm howling and wondering if maybe I'm having an out-of-body experience, because I seem to have lost all control.