Excerpt – All That We See or Seem
This was it, Lily thought to herself, she was about to be stolen
away to Ronan’s castle, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. No
one was here, no one knew where she was. The chances of Larkin coming to her
rescue…
Suddenly he froze, and she
watched with a frown as his eyes locked on something over her shoulder. A low
rumble was emitted from the back of his throat two seconds before she heard the
growl at her back.
Larkin.
Ronan pressed his lips
against hers and then pulled back just as quickly. “It seems that now’s not the
time. I’ll leave you to it, and when I send for you next, you’d best come,
Dreamer.”
With a gust of wind he was a
bird again, and so far off in the sky that all she could see was a black speck
getting smaller and smaller each second.
The kiss has happened so fast
it might as well haven’t happened at all, but she felt the tingling all the way
down to her toes anyway.
Still too shocked to feel
relief, she turned, intent on running towards Larkin for comfort. She stopped
in her tracks when the wolf standing behind her wasn’t black, but white. Though
his eyes were blue, they were lighter, like tropical water, and there was a
softer tint to them. Not Larkin.
She contemplated running for
a moment, but she didn’t feel threatened by the creatures’ presence. It might
not be Larkin, but he wouldn’t harm her.
“You’re the wolf who was
spying on Keegan,” Lily realized half to herself.
The creature stared at
her unblinkingly. Suddenly, there was a sizzle of magic in the air, and the
wolf’s body stretched and reformed until a man with sandy blonde hair stood
before her. He was as tall as Larkin, though his shoulders weren’t as broad. He
carried no weapon, and made no move towards her, giving her the time to sum him
up.
“Who are you?” she asked, and
frowned over the odd tingle that shot up her spine. Like with Larkin, a sense
of familiarity came to her, but he was already answering, so she didn’t have
time to ponder over it.
“My name is Conall, Dreamer.
I’ve come from Keavy to help you against Ronan and his army.” He bowed his head
and flashed a friendly smile.
“How do I know if I can trust
you?” her voice wavered, and she crossed her arms defensively.
He tilted his head, as if
asking some silent question that she should know. When she didn’t respond, he
gave a wistful sigh. “Come on, princess. You know you can trust me.”
A part of her whispered that
he was right, that she could, but it was a part she didn’t understand. She’d
never met this man before today, yet she hadn’t known Larkin either when she’d
decided he was worthy of her trust.
“Why would I know that?” She
bit her lip.
He wasn’t smiling anymore,
and after a moment he shrugged his shoulders and turned slightly, taking a step
in the direction of the village. “My cousin is said to be here already. If
you’ll take me to him, I can have him prove my worth.”
“You’re related to Larkin,
aren’t you?”
Something crossed over his
face, but it was gone a second later and he was flashing that boyish grin of
his again. “Yeah. So he is here.”
“Last I checked. Which was
about two hours ago.” Talking about Larkin grounded her a little, bringing her
back to the present. Maybe, because the two of them were cousins, she had met
Conall in the past. She’d just have to wait for those memories to return to
her, just like she’d had to with his dark haired cousin.
“Well then, shall we?” He
motioned for her to lead the way, and she was already stepping forward before
she stopped herself.
He chuckled. “Side by side
then? Don’t worry, princess. I’m not the big bad wolf.”
Her lips quirked up a little,
and she ducked her head to hide her smile as she moved to stand next to him.
They started off in an even pace, completely in sync with one another. It was
strange how right it felt, how…normal.
Which wasn’t normal at all.
Author bio: Tempest C. Avery lives in
Connecticut and is currently working on the next book in her other series, the
Mirror Warriors. She's been in love with reading since she was two years old,
and has since fallen in love with writing as well. All That We See or Seem is
the first book in the Dreamer Trilogy, also known as the Three Realm series.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT HER OTHER BOOKS TOO-The titles are: Wanderers of the
Night, The Coven: Uninivited, and Echoes of Time.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ship of Haunts
Chapter
1 - 2012
Not every girl gets stalked by a ghost. Or haunted by a
ship.
The
ghost was called Lily but the ship came first. It always did. The ship was
Titanic. I drowned on that ship.
I was up on the deck, right at the top,
running and running, as fast as I could, towards the stern. Away from the
water, around my feet. I wasn’t alone.
And although I ran as fast, as I could, the
stern rose up, out of the water, and we rose with it, slipping and sliding on a
frigid deck. Not everyone made it.
I grabbed for a railing and held on tight,
feeling the steel dig into my skin. I knew it was hopeless. Loads of others did
just the same. And then the stern shifted, twisted and turned, a corkscrew
ride, high in the air. We held our place, just for a second. Then down she
fell, faster and faster, heading for the bottom, where no-one ever goes. And I
fell off.
My arms flailed and I let out a scream, one
more voice, in amongst the rest.
‘I’m going to die. I’m going to die.’
And die is exactly what I did.
But unlike the others, I had help.
***
I said there was a ghost and her name was Lily. Not that I
knew she was called Lily to begin with, she was just a voice, driving me crazy.
I first met Lily in 1912, when I lived before. Now you know it. I am
crazy.
Well maybe
you’re right, but why don’t you ask me where we met?
We met on
Titanic, which sank in the night on her maiden voyage, in 1912.
Such a
beautiful ship, sailing the ocean, and then – nothing.
So many died
– fifteen hundred, it was tragedy, failure, on dozens of counts.
And the last
sentence, very important.
I was there.
Chapter
32 - 1912
Lucie wandered around the cabin. She wasn’t sure she was in
the right room. Over on the left was the door to the bathroom and next to that,
the wardrobe room. But both of the rooms looked slightly different and there
was no verandah, or even a maid’s room. And altogether, the suite looked smaller.
Where was Lily? Lucie sighed. She looked again. It didn’t help.
Maybe the woman meant the third door
down. She’d have to go back outside and count. Lucie shivered. Whatever the
room, she shouldn’t be in there. And Lily would be getting angry by now. I
know what I’ll do, she said to herself, I’ll take a few things, before I
go. A scarf or a ring, a trinket or two. That’ll impress her.
She started with a purse, it was covered in
beads and tiny sequins. Then she took jewellery, but only the silver. Lily
would have wanted the gold instead. There was much more money in gold, she
said. Lucie wasn’t bothered, she liked the silver, and she was the one stealing in here. She smiled proudly, then checked
the wardrobe room just in case. There was plenty of storage space in there.
She picked up a brooch and an antique vase.
The floor was sloping, she was finding it harder to walk around. Time to go,
she said to herself. She went to the door and turned the knob but the door
wouldn’t open. She tried again, tugging much harder, but it still wouldn’t
budge. Then she banged on the door, but nobody came. Now she was worried.
Lucie thought then she’d be glad to see anyone, even the purser.
I wonder,
thought Lucie, if anyone’s left? Maybe they’ve gone, deserted the
ship. She watched the water slide under the door. The door was locked and
she was inside, while water slid in and the slope got worse. All for a few
pointless trinkets. Lucie screamed.
She screamed for ages, or so she thought. But
all that happened was her throat got sore.
She ran to the porthole and looked outside.
Such a pretty dark sky, all sprinkled with stars, such a deep blue sea. The sea
looked closer than it had before. Lucie shuddered.
She returned to the door and shook it,
hard. Could she force it, or pick the
lock? No, she couldn’t. Lil might have done, but Lil wasn’t here. No-one knew
she was in this room, apart from that woman and she was long gone.
Lucie stared at the clock on the dresser,
1.45. Where on earth was everyone now?
She opened a cupboard and found some brandy.
She poured out a little and knocked it back. It calmed her nerves so she drank
a bit more. ‘You’re never too young to drink,’ said Lil. Before Lucie knew it,
the bottle was empty. By now she was woozy and slightly sick. She’d even
forgotten to bang on the door.
She turned off the light and climbed on a
chair, tucking her legs tight beneath her. She watched the water swirl and
rise, over her shoes and over her coat, which was on the floor and still full
of things. She watched the water rise up the wall, creating an all-enveloping
stain.
She wished she was able to fall asleep, before
the stain came any closer.
The stain of death, which was coming for her.
BioEllie Stevenson is a former careers adviser who writes articles on history, travel, careers and the arts. Her first novel, Ship of Haunts, is about child migration, ghosts and Titanic. She grew up in Australia and has very strong links to this amazing country. She’s also passionate about Titanic, and you will be too if you read Ship of Haunts.
Ellie’s also passionate about cats, wine and the
paranormal - the last two often go well together...
http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Haunts-other-Titanic-ebook/dp/B007SPGR98
(paperback & ebook - US)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Stevensonauthor
Book Description:
Claire Jasper’s ordinary life suddenly becomes an extraordinary adventure. She’s being stalked by something mysterious and she can’t figure out what it is and the police are no help. Things are getting so intense and Claire knows she must look for a solution of a different sort. That’s where Victor Landeaux comes in.
Victor is a bounty hunter of the Undead. He takes on the challenge of protecting Claire from the Undead and fighting for her soul. They need to discover why she’s the chosen one to sacrifice for the New Year of the Corpus—a ritual that takes place once every six hundred years. It makes no sense to either of them.
Together, Claire and Victor embark on a journey to find out why Parafronas, the demon pursuing Claire, has chosen her. They are two very different people who are conquering the Undead and quickly realizing that their relationship is more than merely professional. Victor helps Claire bring out her bravery, smarts, and courage. As for Victor, he eventually cannot deny that he desires Claire and ensuring her safety is much more than just a job. It’s something he must do to protect the woman he’s falling in love with.
Claire Jasper’s ordinary life suddenly becomes an extraordinary adventure. She’s being stalked by something mysterious and she can’t figure out what it is and the police are no help. Things are getting so intense and Claire knows she must look for a solution of a different sort. That’s where Victor Landeaux comes in.
Victor is a bounty hunter of the Undead. He takes on the challenge of protecting Claire from the Undead and fighting for her soul. They need to discover why she’s the chosen one to sacrifice for the New Year of the Corpus—a ritual that takes place once every six hundred years. It makes no sense to either of them.
Together, Claire and Victor embark on a journey to find out why Parafronas, the demon pursuing Claire, has chosen her. They are two very different people who are conquering the Undead and quickly realizing that their relationship is more than merely professional. Victor helps Claire bring out her bravery, smarts, and courage. As for Victor, he eventually cannot deny that he desires Claire and ensuring her safety is much more than just a job. It’s something he must do to protect the woman he’s falling in love with.
Amazon page: www.amazon.com/Fighting-
Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/
Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/
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Excerpt - Deadly road
Lizzie felt cold air brush
against her body. She looked around and saw she was surrounded by bare trees
that looked like they were wet from a previous rain. She didn’t think it had
rained today, but evidently it had at some point. She wasn’t quite sure where
she was, but knew she had never been here before. She was in a forest somewhere
and she didn’t see any road or house in sight. It was unusually quiet in the
woods and she thought it was odd that she didn’t hear any animals making noise.
No frogs croaking, no bugs chattering. She didn’t like the silence; it made her
uneasy. Usually when nature was quiet it was because some predator was getting
ready to make its move on something or someone. She stood there for a moment
and then decided to start walking. She wanted out of here. It was dark, and the
only illumination was from the bright light of the moon. She saw a small trail
that looked somewhat clear of briars, and decided to follow it. She wasn’t
quite sure where else to go, and was confused as to why she was here to begin
with. She started down the path, her hair damp from the humidity in the air,
and stopped when she heard a child’s voice somewhere in the woods plead…
“No, please don’t. I
promise I’ll be good. I’m sorry. No, no, no.”
The child’s whimpering and
pleading was getting closer and Lizzie looked around, uncertain where it was
coming from. She clenched her jaw, terrified of what she might see. She didn’t
know what was going on, but the child’s scared words tore through her soul.
Everything was silent for a
moment and Lizzie kept going, wanting more than anything to find her way out of
the woods. There was something wrong here, some kind of evil lurking here in
the woods with her, she could feel it.
She heard leaves rustling
and looked up ahead of her. A small child stood on the moonlit path about
twenty feet in front of her with a whirlwind of fall leaves twirling around
her. At first Lizzie was concerned that a young girl would be in the woods
alone at this time of night, and then something told her this little girl was
not really here at all. She had a light-colored Glamour Girl shirt on with dark
jeans and her dark, ratty hair was in pigtails. She stared at Lizzie with a
deep penetrating look that made Lizzie shudder. She can’t be more than ten
or eleven years old, Lizzie thought as she eyed the girl suspiciously.
“Who are you?” Lizzie hesitantly
asked, stopping where she was, not wanting to get any closer to the strange
little girl.
For a moment the girl just
stood there, and then she looked behind her as if she was looking for someone.
A scared, worried look rushed through her face and Lizzie could feel the fear
pour from her. She turned back to Lizzie with haunted dark eyes and mouthed the
words without speaking, “Help me, I’m scared. It hurts real bad.”
Lizzie’s mouth went dry as
she stared at the little girl. This can’t be happening. It’s not real, she’s
not real, she told herself. Suddenly, the little girl’s high-pitched voice
screamed loudly in her ear, “He’s coming to get you now for what you did to
him!”
Lizzie jumped back at the
girl’s words, stepping on a thorn from a fallen briar. Pain shot through her
foot, but she was too startled to look down at it. Fear ran through her and she
looked at the girl, who was still in the same spot she was at a minute ago. She
wondered how that could be when it sounded like she was right next to her when
she had heard her in her ear. Lizzie’s heart skipped a beat as she thought
about the girl’s words. She couldn’t possibly know what happened, Lizzie
thought, but deep down she had a feeling the little girl in front of her knew
more than Lizzie could possibly imagine.
About this author
Tara Neideffer loves everything that has to do with the paranormal.
She grew up reading Stephen King novels and watching horror movies. Deadly Road
is her first paranormal novel. She is currently working on her next novel which
will be a paranormal series.
In her free time she likes to spend time with her husband, daughter and step-son and sometimes go ghost hunting.
You can find her book here- http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-
THE VAMPIRE BATS
The
Vampire Bats draw their influences from Post Punk, Goth, Garage Rock
and Indie Pop & other good stuff. People often mistake their
snobbery for shyness.
Biography
The
Vampire Bats were founded in 2010 by former Dreamworks Artist Marc
Godfrey (Whose previous band Soulkid #1 managed to sell over 200 000
downloads independently...) and guitarist Chris Tait (The Idols,
Chinatown). They drafted in Joseph von Burthe on second guitar because
he has nice hair and rounded out the rhythm section with Shawn Killaly
and Dragan Panic (Matthew Good Band). The Vampire Bats have spent the
last year recording and have recently finished their debut EP.
Description
The
Vampire Bats are combining elements of Post Punk Goth, Garage Punk with
Modern Pop Sensibilities to create unique and refreshing original
music. They are Lyrically smart and unafraid of having an opinion, and
like to stay one step ahead in the fashion stakes. They consider
themselves part of the inevitable backlash against the trend of safe,
laid back, reassuring but lyrically empty bearded bands that are
everywhere these days! In todays musical climate they are destined for
either greatness or total cult obscurity. Fortunately, they don't
care... |