A young boy’s apparent accidental drowning, a mysterious drifter, the town
recluse, a deaf boy who can hear the voices of spirits, and the mystery that
connects them all.
Samson Roe comes from a family of fake psychics his mother being the most
recent perpetrator of the con. However, Sam has a secret that he has not
revealed to anyone, he can speak with ghosts. The only problem is that Sam
is deaf, so though he can hear the voices of the dead the living are silent
to him. When a boy named Kip Green drowns in the picturesque town of Heaven
Maine nobody suspects anything sinister; that is until Kip makes a visit to
Samson and reveals that he believes his death to be anything but an
accident. Together they begin to investigate what really happened and in the
process begin to unravel a thirty-seven year old mystery.
About the Author
Anneke Barnard was born and raised in Portland, Maine. She graduated from
Portland High School in 2017 and the University of Southern Maine in 2021.
She lives with her three brothers, mom and dad, and dog Fenway. For updates
on her writing follow her on twitter @barnard_anneke.
In the heat and oilfields, John and his pals believe a rock concert is the
answer to theirdiscontent, never realizing the trip will transform them forever—if
they survive it.
In 1966, John Pierce and his friends are discontented teens shackled by
life in a West Texas oilfield boomtown. As they swelter in summer heat amid
thousands of oil wells, desperation creeps in.
When news of an electrifying rock concert captures their hearts, they leave
on a quest for music, girls, and self-indulgence. No one warned them about
the nightmarish occurrences they could face on their dream trip.
Based on a true adventure in an out-of-the-ordinary setting, THE CONCERT is
an unforgettable exploration of friendships and dangers looming along the
stepping stones to adulthood.
About the Author
Lawson McDowell was almost born in the backseat of a Buick, but after a
wild ride through the wheat fields near Dodge City, Kansas, they arrived at
the hospital in the nick of time. That was in 1950. It seems Lawson has been
in a hurry ever since.
When he was five, his family moved to Texas, establishing roots in the
small town of Andrews, where his father worked in the oil industry. Lawson
grew up with rattlesnakes, cowboys, and roustabouts in the rough-and-tumble
oil boom years of the 50s and 60s.
After graduation from Texas Tech University, Lawson went to work for
Southern Pacific Railroad. He advanced through the ranks, eventually leading
operations in Los Angeles, Tucson, and Kansas City. At the corporate level,
he served as director of safety in Denver and, for a time, chaired the
Association of American Railroads Safety Section in Washington. D. C.
Lawson attended executive classes at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. While MIT upgraded his skills, he developed a love for Boston
and the Red Sox.
After serving many years as Director of Network Operations for Union
Pacific, Lawson is now enjoying retirement with his greatest passion, his
wife, Virginia. You can contact Lawson through his website at http://www.LawsonMcDowell.com
Wishes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be… especially when you have to capture the Fairies who grant them to you.
Er… make that faeries… and not the normal, hiding-in-plain-sight magical kind.
When a misadventure cleaning out the attic leads Isaac to release a faerie trapped in a glass ball of light, he believes he’s struck gold–in the form of wishes. All he has to do is mention the name that was engraved on the ball, and the indebted faerie would grant him any three wishes he wanted.
The best part of all was knowing that there was an entire chest of captured faeries waiting to be freed…
But when strange things start to happen around town, Isaac begins to wonder if the increasingly unfortunate events are his doing.
Only his mysterious neighbor, Yara, knows the truth about his lineage as a Light Keeper.
Can Yara’s strength and wisdom guide Isaac into his new role?
Can Isaac make things right again?
Or will his dream-come-true turn into his worst nightmare?
Rows and rows of glass balls stared back at me. They almost reminded me of ornaments without the hooks. I reached in and clasped one of the balls in my hands; the ball glowed a faint orange. I rolled it around but couldn’t identify a battery or a charge port. What powered this thing? The only other interesting thing about the glass was the word engraved on the side. C-R-I-S-T-O. Cristo? What a disappointment. Lightbulbs. I had torn the attic upside down for lightbulbs.
I was reaching back down to pick up another ball when the first slipped from my hand. I grabbed for it but clasped only air. I couldn’t do anything except listen to the glass shatter on the floor.
As I imagined Mom’s frustration when I explained to her that I’d broken one of Grandfather’s priceless heirlooms, a wispy fog poured out from the shattered glass, floated over the floor, and expanded to cover every inch of space. The cold and damp fog sent a chill through my body. The light from the window illuminated the silhouette of a figure in the mist. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I swatted my hand to wave away the fog from my face, but the figure remained.
I wanted to run back downstairs, nail the door shut, and apologize to Mom and Dad, but I couldn’t move. I wasn’t sure if I was frozen in fear or had an intense fight complex or my curiosity was too strong, but I needed to see what was coming. My knees quaked, and my heart thumped as the fog cleared and the shape in front of me became more pronounced.
The figure loomed over me. He was thin and tall, not abnormally so but taller than the average man. His suit was one I had only seen in movies about olden times and reminded me of a leprechaun’s. The suit had a waistcoat, and he even wore his trousers tucked into long socks. He also wore loafers with buckles on the shoes. The man’s skin was rough and weathered. He had a long-hooked nose, his face formed sharp angles, and his ears were half the size of his head.
The most curious thing about this person were his eyes. The man strode toward me. His eyes turned my blood cold. Was it because looking at his pupils felt like staring into a deep well? His intense gaze locked onto mine. I wanted to leave, but something prevented me from looking away from him.
A lump in my throat grew larger with each step he took. He came to a stop in front of me with perfect posture, hands folded behind his back. In a stone so calm and quiet it almost scared me more, he asked, “Do you know my name?”
My stomach lurched and threatened to make me throw up from panic. This person had come from a ball inside a secret locked chest. My mind raced a mile a minute. How would I know his name? The only indicator I could think of was the word I read on the glass before it broke, Cristo.
In a broken voice that squeaked and made me sound younger than my sister, I asked, “Cristo?”
The man snapped into a bow. The quick gesture caught me off guard and made me hop a step backward. His friendly smile stretched from ear to ear but did not match the despair his eyes made me feel. He stood and grandly announced, “At your service. What tasks will you have me perform?”
Christina Wallace has been many things. A student, an analyst, a wife, a mother, a gamer, and a lifelong writer. For almost as long as she can remember she’s dreamed of people and places that only existed in her mind, and sharing her stories is a dream come true.
Christina writes books not only for middle-grade audiences, but for young and new adults as well. Stories should be an escape. Christina likes to write about people who become their own heroes and take fate into their own hands. Many of her works contain fantastical elements and also a bit of love, but strong friendships are the common thread.
The Light Keeper is Christina’s debut series with more books soon to come. She is thrilled to begin this adventure of her very own as an author.
Neptune’s Window: First Glance L.L. Lewin
(Neptune’s Window, #1)
Publication date: November 25th 2020
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
What if you had a glimpse into what others are oblivious to? According to the zodiac, the planet Neptune represents illusions, mystery, and the unconscious mind. Aries Dade is a teenage medium who has the ability to look inside those illusions and speak to the afterworld. But for some reason, she can’t communicate with her recently deceased mother. With the help of a few spirits, she tries to discover the truth behind her mother’s death. But can she trust the spirits? Aries and her father move to Newport Beach, California to start over. Little do they know they are unlocking a world of lies, betrayals, and deception. And everyone they come in contact with is somehow intertwined with her mother’s death. When the star quarterback and a bad-boy senior vie for her attention, Aries senses something isn’t right. Meanwhile, the rich, popular girls make her life a living hell to keep her from finding out the truth. First Glance is the first novel in the Neptune Window’s trilogy. Do you dare to glance inside the window?
Demanding spirits barged their way into Aries’s mind, each voice trying to outdo the other.
“Please stop,” she said through clenched teeth.
For a moment they went away, allowing her to bask in the silence. But as soon as she took a step toward the school, their clamor started back up.
Aries ran behind a row of palm trees, shielding herself from streams of cars and pedestrians as the high-pitched aggravation attacked her senses.
“Not today…please not today,” she begged no one in particular.
Out of sight, she dropped to her knees and picked at the grass as the noise escalated.
“Dammit. I said stop.”
Giving in, she put her hands in her lap. With her index finger, she wrote the alphabet on her leg. She needed deep concentration to make the connection. She waited for a clear voice to come through, dreading – yet at the same time accepting – communication with the dead.
After tracing a Z on her leg, she started over with A as a faint whisper formed. Unable to make out any words, she slowed her pace and drew the letter B. She kept repeating this action, taking deeper breaths each time, trying to match the frequency of the spirit.
She’d almost given up when a clear voice said, “You need to find out the truth, Aries.”
Author Bio:
LL Lewin is the author of Neptune’s Window Trilogy. A native of Southern California, she was born in Los Angeles County and grew up in Orange County. She graduated from the University California, Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior, and holds a Masters in Social Emotional Learning. After teaching for several years and interacting with the youth almost daily, she was inspired to write a young adult mystery novel, which morphed into a little more. Since things happen in threes for her (her initials, triple Sagittarius, the third born) the novel turned into a trilogy and reaffirmed her belief that three’s a charm.
She loves all things astrological, metaphysical, and spiritual. With her Sun, Moon, and Rsing all in the sign of Sagittarius, She’s as Sagittarius as they come, optimistic, freedom-loving, and ever so tactless.
Her three passions in life are writing, traveling, and soccer. You’ll either find her writing at the beach, on an island somewhere, or on a soccer field. And her three vices are chocolate, pizza, and champagne, and not necessarily in that order.
For more updates, photos, and videos follow LL Lewin on Twitter or Instagram @LLLewin3
Quest of Awakening Daniel Dickson
Publication date: May 19th 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
‘Eragon’ meets ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ in this queer YA fantasy that will leave you breathless until the last page.
With war threatening to shatter Ivearth’s 500 years of peace, Prince Xavier embarks on a perilous quest to the mystical isle of Hom to claim a dragon and secure his place as king. But a dragon can only bond with someone true to themselves, forcing Xavier to confront his deepest fears. His truth, if revealed, could destroy the monarchy, the kingdom and the faith he serves.
Accompanied by a newly-heartbroken magical creatures expert, and a fearless steamboat captain, Xavier braves mermaid-infested waters and faces off against fearsome dragons. But the trio soon learns Hom calls on them to confront the obstacles that lie within. For Xavier, dangerous feelings for someone unexpected becomes the trigger to confronting all he has suppressed.
Will Xavier be successful in his mission? Or will his journey lead him down a different path, one that could alter the course of history forever?
They debated the topic for some time. Rueban knew he needed us on his side. He calculated his words and made it clear he would not back down while being unprovoking. I ought to have been thinking more about how he had disrespected our Treaty of Protection. How what he was asking of us could breed civil war at best and a war with a powerful race of magicians. But instead, I wondered what Rueban had been thinking. What those glances at me meant.
After a few more cups of wine, Father had had enough of debating and asked me if I would escort Rueban to his chambers. We stood and made our respectful, pleasant farewells to Father and took our leave.
We walked through torchlit corridors in uncomfortable silence. Rueban was the first to speak. “I suppose soon it won’t matter what your father thinks. You will soon be king.”
“Yes, well. I have to say, I agree with my father. But I do hope we can maintain a pleasant alliance.” My voice shook as I spoke and I hoped he hadn’t noticed.
Rueban didn’t press the subject, showing surprising restraint. Being around him felt threatening, though, as if he were on the verge of attack. Still, even with the quickening of my heart and the awkward silence, there was something oddly alluring about his piercing blue eyes and the way he fitted his richly-embellished tunic.
We approached his wing, and I led the way to his guest chambers, stopping at the oak door with rounded handles. I reached across and opened the door for him. “I trust you’ll be comfortable,” I said.
He leaned into the archway and turned back to me. “Yes, yes, I will.”
I signaled my agreement and prepared to walk away, but he stretched an arm out to stop me. I turned back and faced him. His touch excited me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
“Prince Xavier, it’s been a pleasure meeting you tonight.” He slid his hand from my back, and his fingers fell onto my forearm and caressed me. My throat closed. I didn’t know what to say. His gaze was intense, and I knew we verged on something inappropriate, something dangerous.
Rationality fled as I met that gaze with my own. He rubbed his hand up my biceps and held me firmly. I didn’t want to stop him, but even if I had, the fear in my stomach kept me speechless and immovable. He reached a hand to the back of my head and ran his fingers through my hair as he arched in toward my face.
I couldn’t look. It felt sinful, with the Great Goddess peering down at me. So, with eyes closed, I reached out my hand and rested it on his waist. He opened his mouth to speak, letting out a hushed breath that sent shivers down my body.
“Good night, Prince Xavier. Now I see what you truly are,” he whispered.
I swallowed my anxiety as he pulled away and disappeared through the door. My heart slowed and my breath shook. What was that? What kind of game was he playing? What did he think he knew about me?
I slammed my palm against the stone wall beside me. Gripping my sore hand, I stalked back through the corridors. He had put me in such an uncomfortable place. To throw himself at me like that. But it was fine. I hadn’t wanted it anyway. I’d been just going along with it. Or at least that’s what I had told my racing heart, that one day soon I would have a queen, and this night and other nights like it would just be distant memories. One day I would laugh about the confusing thoughts I’d been fighting against since I was young, and they would plague me no more.
But here I am, awake at the midnight hour, replaying that night over and over in my mind.
Author Bio:
Daniel Dickson is a Glasgow-based author and cognitive behavioral therapist with a passion for impactful storytelling. With formal education in various aspects of professional writing, psychology, and counseling, he strives to help people find self-love and thrive through his writing and clinical practice. In his free time, he enjoys practicing meditation, taking walks in nature with his rescue dog Willow, reading books across a range of genres especially fantasy and sci-fi, and traveling to explore new cultures. His favorite book is Humans by Matt Haig, and he’s a film buff with a particular fondness for the movie Donnie Darko. As a spiritual person with influences from Buddhism, Eastern and Western philosophy, and psychology, Daniel believes his stories can promote acceptance and contribute to creating a more peaceful and unified world.
His debut novel, Quest of Awakening, is a queer YA fantasy that follows the journey of a young prince as he navigates his identity and embarks on a dangerous quest to save his world. With a diverse cast of characters and themes of self-discovery and acceptance, this book is sure to capture the hearts of readers.
Join Daniel on a thrilling adventure that will keep you turning pages and inspire you to embrace your true self. Get your copy of Quest of Awakening on Friday, May 19th.
Resonate Erin Wilkerson
(The Avalon Series, #1)
Publication date: May 1st 2023
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Sixteen year old Tamar Linsky has had enough!
After surviving twenty-two devastating quakes on an increasingly unstable Earth, she leaves the slow destruction of her world behind for an internship as far away from tragedy as she can get—humanity’s first lunar colony.
Lunar Base One is a high-tech research facility brimming with the brightest young minds from all over the world, but through it all, she will beat her peers and make a name for herself as a groundbreaking scientist. Even if a good-looking prankster threatens to distract her—knowing relationships are forbidden—bringing more secrets and drama than Tamar can bear.
Just when she thought she was getting a grip on the pressure, a geological catastrophe wipes out civilization back home.
Now cut off from the Earth she was desperate to escape, Tamar and her crew must find a way to survive on their own.
River fell, grabbing a firm hold of the rovers bumper while hanging off the side of a hole in the moons surface. A deafening scream followed from the girl.
He caught her outstretched hand. The remote rover and core sample smashed into pieces below. She dangled in a frenzied panic. The rover shifted from their weight. “Don’t let go of me!” she screamed.
“I’ve got you!” he shouted back.
That calmed her a little, but she still whimpered. The rover stopped, hung halfway off the side of the cliff.
He studied it. It wasn’t going to hold much longer.
“Tamar! River? What happened?” Ringo cried out through the commlink.
“Stay back! It’s a cave-in!” River scoured the cliff for a spot he could jump for. If he just didn’t have the princess clinging to his arm, he could get out of here easy.
Big John, Ringo, and Ginger showed up at the edge of the rocky cliff. The three stood motionless.
“Hold onto her River!” Ringo’s frantic voice howled, with his hands on his helmet. Ginger began to radio the control room, explaining what happened.
“I’m trying.” River gripped Tamar’s hand tighter. “Are you going to do something?”
“Let me think!” Ringo screeched back, his hands tense at the sides of his helmet.
River’s eyes narrowed. “This thing’s not going to hold much longer.”
“Ringo, the trekkers!” Big John’s voice boomed. The two disappeared from the edge.
“It’s going to take them both to hold that beast.” Ringo explained through their steady huffs. River didn’t remember the trekkers being close, but at least they were doing something other than standing there.
He examined the pit below, studying the surface. Then, he spotted it.
“Okay listen to me,” he said to the girl, gazing down at her petrified face. “There’s a small patch of soft moon dust off to the right over there. I’m going to toss you onto it.”
“Over there? You can’t throw me that far,” she screamed.
“No, River. Don’t let go of her. We’re almost there,” Ringo shouted.
“Shut it, Ringo!” He softened his eyes, hoping she would understand. “Don’t listen to him, you’ll be fine.”
“River, stop! It’s too deep! We’ve got the trekkers,” Ringo shouted through Tamar’s constant screams and pleas. She murmured a weak, terrified wail, begging him not to do this to her.
Why was she acting like this? Did she think he was a monster? “You want to live, don’t you?” River yelled.
She nodded, gripping his hand so tight it went numb through his glove.
“Then listen to me!” The rover inched forward, its weight crumbling the rock side, and he no longer cared for her permission.
He swung his arm back, focusing on the point of impact, then tossed her toward the dust pile. She flew, screaming the whole way.
Her bottom landed safely, just as he said she would. But time had run out for him. The rover dove off the cliff, leaving him no other choice but to ride down with it.
Author Bio:
“Erin Wilkerson is a writer of YA fantasy and science fiction stories, which often feature fierce, comedic, and sassy female characters ready to take on the world and kick butt. She aspires to hole up somewhere with her manuscripts, writing in isolation for hours, but there is no way that’ll ever happen since she is the proud ringleader of this traveling troupe of rambunctious monkeys. Life swallows up her time, but it makes for hilarious stories to share with her readers. She resides in Texas with her circus. Her debut novel, RESONATE, is set to release on May 1st.”
— Written by close friend and fellow author Ari Augustine.
Mark is uprooted from his home and high school in the Twin Cities and forced to move with his family into a Victorian in Nowhere-ville. Busy with the relocation and fitting in, Mark’s parents don’t see what’s unfolding around them—the way rooms and left behind objects seem alive with a haunted past. Of course, Mark keeps his ghostly encounters to himself, all the while sinking deeper into the house’s dark, alluring, and ultimately terrifying history. As romantic entanglements intensify, the paranormal activity escalates. Past and present come together. Everything is connected—from the bricks in the walls to the hearts beating in their chests, all the secrets of Fountain Dead are finally unearthed.
Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has been teaching literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting, and all things dark are her passions (when she is not coming up with romantic subplots). She has presented at HWA conferences, as well as Utah Quills Conferences. Her published works include both novels and short stories that have appeared in various horror fiction publications. In 2018, she was included in a Best Speculative Fiction anthology.
Wooded Discovery B.B. Swan
(Spellbound Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: April 29th 2022
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Previously published as Out of the Woods by B.B. Swann.
His senior year just turned magical. Now if only he can win his crush’s affections without getting killed.
Seventeen-year-old Zaidyn Mitchell would rather not be weird. But nothing can be stranger than when the self-proclaimed bookworm wakes up one night, floating several feet above his bed. Still desperate to fit in after his parents unceremoniously unlocked his abilities, all Zaidyn wants is to date the girl of his dreams.
With his magic a little uncontrolled, the budding wizard finally makes a move and promises his beautiful classmate to help stop a construction project from destroying the nearby woods. But when an unknown force attacks and tries to separate them, Zaidyn fears this supernatural world is about to send them to their doom.
Can the teen would-be hero find a way to save them both?
Wooded Discovery is the delightful first book in the Spellbound Chronicles YA urban fantasy series. If you like humor and drama, fun twists and turns, and a dash of danger and romance, then you’ll love B.B. Swann’s coming-of-age adventure.
Buy Wooded Discovery to awaken hidden enchantment today!
The towel I’m wrapped in smells like Mom’s favorite mountain-scented fabric softener. A clean air smell drifts from the wet terry cloth, mixing with the biting scent of chlorine from the pool water in my hair. Both normal smells. Both familiar. Neither helps me relax after hearing their detailed description of what I am.
Mom sits across from me at our kitchen table, sipping from her favorite purple coffee cup. Dad sits in the chair next to Mom. Take out the trash. Pick up your dirty underwear. Oh, by the way, you’re a wizard.
“Congratulations.” Dad toasts me with his cup. “You’ve transmogrified.”
He slurps his coffee. The clock ticks on the wall over the counter. The refrigerator hums as the ice maker kicks on.
And I’m a wizard.
(Note to self: J.K. Rowling was full of crap. Finding out you’re a wizard sucks.)
“What does that mean?” More Latin?
“Changed, honey, into a wizard.”
We sit in silence for a moment. Mom crosses her legs and kicks her foot back and forth, wiggling the table with her. Dad shakes, too, bouncing his knees. Vibrations from their movements travel through the wooden tabletop. Like they’re five and Christmas has come early.
All I want is to wake up from this weird dream, finish high school, and go away to college.
But as much as I want to argue with them, I can’t. Mom froze my body with her mind. I jumped out a window and flew. Dad flew after me. On a scale of one-to-ten, that’s enough weirdness to score a one hundred on the weird-shit-o-meter. Finding out I’m a wizard sounds less insane by comparison.
Author Bio:
BB Swann writes books for the young and the young at heart. She is devoted to giving her readers characters they can relate to who overcome their struggles with hope, love, and sometimes a touch (or two) of magic. After twenty-seven years of teaching, she now represents authors as a literary agent with The Purcell Agency and helps others achieve their dreams—no magic required, but she does feel like a fairy godmother at times. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at http://www.bbswann.com or find her on social media from her Linktree here.
Legends of Ash and Dust Kate Cowan
(Fearless, #1)
Publication date: January 24th 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
They forged her into a weapon. Now, she is the last.
Aerona was raised by legends. Her people, the Shae, are the closest thing this realm has to the supernatural: they train their entire lives to protect, forging their bodies like steel. They are the stories told to children in the night, the monsters who lurk in the woods. Or, they were — until the massive Red Wolf army attacked, slaughtering them all in a single night.
Now, Aerona is the last, and it doesn’t help that she is the only female Shae in history. Besides the revenge she has sworn to get, she has one final mission: to protect Niran, a handsome prince with secrets of his own.
In Niran’s home, the Palace of the Golden City, nothing is as it seems. Aerona’s enemies are lurking around every corner, the Emperor is blackmailing her into becoming his assassin, and an ex-Shae librarian is convinced that she has a long-forgotten Shae magic hidden on her skin.
Caught between two worlds, Aerona must kill, spy and betray… even if it means unlocking the magic this world has long been starved of…
““What is it?” I demanded. “What’s happening? Kentric, I saw fire—“
“We’re being attacked,” Kentric said. Shouts and bangs and running footfalls filled the air, filtering in through the dark window.
“What?” I started for the door, but he pulled me back to face him. “We have to go, we have to fight—“
“There are too many, Aerona. Far too many.”
“Too many? We’re Warriors.”
“Fifty of us have already been slain in the Sanctuary,” Kentric said quickly. “More at the outposts and farmhouses. There are hundreds of them, Aerona, an army. We cannot win.”
“No,” I breathed. The world had been opening before my eyes that morning: now, it felt as if it closed in from every angle, crushing me.
Taking a step back, I looked to the glowing window, listened to the screams in the distance.
“We can fight them! Drive them off,” I was pleading, tears in my eyes, but there was ice in Kentric’s gaze.
He had stopped listening. From around his neck, he pulled something on a thin black cord out of his robes. It was small and silver, glinting in the faint light from the window. The symbol of the Shae—all of the Masters wore one, a hand-forged silver pendant. A mountain overlaid with two crossed swords, surrounded by a circle of four dragons. He pushed it into my hands.
“No. I can’t,” I took a step back, looking shakily down at the heavy, cold pendant.
“There’s no time for this. Listen to me carefully,” he took my shoulders, standing so close I could feel his breath on my face. “The prince is your responsibility now. He’s in the barns, Malik told him to meet you there. Take horses and get off the Shae mountain. Get far, don’t stop moving, and don’t use the gates to get past River’s Edge. Go through the river itself. Don’t come back here, don’t try to fight them. You are Shae. You are one of us. Never forget that. We will fight them as long as we can. Stay off the main roads and away from anyone until you reach Dothor.”
I tried to suppress the tears welling up in my eyes, clenching my jaw and my fists, but my heart broke as Kentric wrapped me in a fierce hug. He was old, but like an ancient willow, he was supple and strong.
“Now go, Aero,” he whispered in my ear. “Go!”
I knew I would regret it, Gods, I knew I would—but I did as Kentric told me.
I ran.
Author Bio:
Hi, I’m Kate Cowan. I’m an author, writer, painter, and illustrator. When I’m not writing or creating art, I love to take my three insane dogs out for hikes and explore the beautiful Niagara region of Canada, where I live. My passion is in telling stories that move people and capture their imaginations. I also strive to create art that is full of life and beauty. I love creating pretty things, both written and painted. I’m also a martial arts instructor, 3rd-degree black belt in Goju-Ryu Karate, and lover of badass characters (which I’m sure you can tell from my books!!)
The Secrets of Constellations was selected by Barnes and Noble as a Top Indie Book for February and March, and on Amazon, it hit #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release in Teen & YA Adoption.
It’s been sixteen years since Norae Whelan’s adoption. She’s conquered her past by baking her way through her challenges. All that’s left is culinary school, until a unique stranger offers her an opportunity to learn the truth of her birth and with it, the trial of facing down what she thought she left behind.
Her birth mother’s hometown is a place where memories hide beneath the floorboards of an eclectic house. Inheriting a house and all its mysteries is one thing. The instant attraction to Orion Reise is another. There’s only one problem. Orion’s blind, and the reason behind it lurks through the downtown streets, dying to take him away.
With the end of summer fast approaching, Norae must make some big decisions. She’ll have to decide if falling in love with Orion is worth the price of letting go of her past and embracing a potentially, disastrous future.
Excerpt
The creepy, old guy from Poltergeist sat on my couch with a toothy grin. Okay, so not the Devil’s henchman, but a gangly replica. Anyone with shocking white hair and a yellow smile would fit the bill, especially if they were rocking a bowler hat. My parents didn’t look soulless—score one for living in reality.
Dad stood up and waved a hand toward our guest. “Rae, this is Miles Hidifork.”
“Good evening, Miss Whelan,” the man greeted, taking tiny breaths between each word like his lungs couldn’t handle the talking. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Hello.” I walked over and offered my hand. His grip was solid.
“Mr. Hidifork is here about Bobbie Jo Thatchor,” Mom said as she moved to stand next to Dad.
I frowned. “Who?”
Mr. Hidifork pressed his hat against his chest. “I was her lawyer, Miss Whelan. Bobbie Jo was your birth mother.”
About the Author
S. H. Clark is a romance author in the following sub-genres: young adult,
contemporary, horror, and fantasy.
Clark lives in Southern California with her two cats and her beloved coffee
maker. When she’s not writing, which is rare, she’s an elementary school
teacher on one of California’s Native reservations. She holds multiple
secondary degrees, including an MFA in Creative Writing, has a bookshelf
overflowing with paranormal romances, and loves to write to the sound of a
thunderstorm.
It’s been said Clark has attempted to conjure Cadbury Cream Eggs with her
Harry Potter wand.
