Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Date Published: 09-18-2024
Publisher: Bright Communications
WOULD YOU SACRIFICE AN ENTIRE CITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
A massive explosion rips through the outdoor seating area of a popular
restaurant in downtown Trondheim. Two days later, fourteen people are found
dead in a church along a remote section of coastline. The souls of the
victims have been ripped from their bodies. Moments later a spirit from the
Otherworlds steps through the Black Void to find the ancient relic that
killed them.
On a secluded island in the Arctic Circle, a troubled man sees a world that
has lost its way and feels compelled to change that. He plans to wield the
formidable power of a mysterious artifact to reshape the moral fabric of
eight billion unsuspecting souls—knowing that his actions will wipe
out the inhabitants of an entire city.
David Skye and Jade “Epiphany” Hendrix set out to stop him and
save the lives that would be lost if he were to succeed. Their efforts to do
that are complicated by Kari Salversen, a dedicated police detective with
the Norwegian Police Service. She believes David and Epiphany are involved
in a recent string of deadly attacks and is determined to apprehend
them.
A reckoning of souls is quickly approaching, as the battle for humanity
unfolds in the snowy, arctic fjords of Norway, and the vast spirit realms of
the Otherworlds. The possibility of a peaceful future for billions of souls
and the lives of tens of thousands of innocent people are both at stake. In
a clash that pits two opposing sides against each other, which one is on the
more righteous path?
Excerpt
Beyond thick veils of falling snow, a darkness awaited. There was no avoiding it, no turning back. David Skye had an uneasy feeling about what he’d find, yet he pushed forward anyway. Visibility worsened with each pass of the wiper blades as they swished from side to side, leaving smears of frozen snow across the windshield. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the steering wheel, doing his best to keep the vehicle from veering off the slick, snow-covered road. David desperately wanted to press down harder on the accelerator, but he thought better of it as he fought to guide the Toyota 4Runner along the deserted stretch of highway that hugged the northern coastline of Tjeldøya Island.
“There it is, up ahead, on the right,” Epiphany said.
The sound of her voice momentarily broke David’s concentration. The silhouette of the old church, its spire reaching into the cold, cloudy sky, stood out against the backdrop of the waterway and the mountains. A heavy, gray fog rolled in off the water. David slowed the vehicle and slid to a stop in the church parking area just off the main road, where he saw six or seven parked cars. The vehicle had barely stopped when Epiphany flung open the passenger door. She leapt out of the 4Runner, swung the door shut, and sprinted down the path leading to the church. David watched her disappear into the snow and mist, vanishing like a specter leaving this world for the next. A transient thought darted through his mind. He had barely been with Epiphany for more than a few days, and given their circumstances, he hoped they’d somehow manage to stay alive for a few more.
Guest Post – “Authors Who Inspire Other Authors” by Harrison Edwards
“Wow, I wish I could write like that,” is something I find myself thinking when reading a novel by an author whose writing style stands out from the rest as truly unique and innovative. At the top of my list is the late Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Some writers are great storytellers and others have a wonderful mastery of the written word—Carlos Ruiz Zafón is one of the talented few who has mastered both. The first book in his four-book series, was titled The Shadow of the Wind, and it was the biggest selling novel in the history of Spain, and his second book in that series, The Angel’s Game, was the fastest selling. Carlos Ruiz Zafón could weave together a magical tapestry of words in the manner that Beethoven could string together a collection of notes to form a magnificent symphony. Zafón’s characters are deep and full of life, and his stories transport you into another time and place.
In the category of great storytellers, there are two writers who stand out for me. The first is Tony Hillerman. I have read his entire Detective Leaphorn / Officer Chee tribal police series. Every time I read one of Hillerman’s books I feel as if I am right there with Chee and Leaphorn wandering a dusty arroyo in the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States looking for clues. The second author in the category of great storytellers is James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Picking up a novel in the 500-to-600-page range is something I’ve always tended to shy away from. How many pages would I have to read before the story grabs my attention? Would I get 200 pages in only to put it down because I’ve lost interest. That was not the case with the nine-book Expanse science fiction series written by James S.A. Corey. Each book was 500+ pages and I devoured the entire series in the course of less than one year.
Each of these authors has given me great insights into: incorporating setting as a critical element of their stories, creating characters that jump off the page (you feel their joy, their anguish, their pain and always root for them to succeed), and developing interesting plots with a pace that pulls you along through the entire story. After finishing one of their novels, I found myself anxiously anticipating the next book in the series. Every time I sit down to write, the great gifts these writers have given me and their readers are at the forefront of my mind, and I will never cease in my efforts to maybe someday write as well as they hav
About the Author
Harrison Edwards lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and their
black Lab, Deacon. Harrison’s writing is a blend of science fiction
and urban fantasy. Subject matter for his stories comes from deep interests
in science, technology, and mythology. When he’s not compiling and
developing ideas for future novels, you can find him composing original
works of contemporary instrumental music for his next CD release.
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