Monday, October 24, 2022

The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller by Diandra Archer - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular



Onyx Webb: The 31 Immutable Matters of Life and Death
Based on the original 10 book, 31 episode Onyx Webb series. 

Episode 1: 
“Should you one day discover you have both light and darkness inside you, do not despair. We all do. The only thing that matters is which you choose to act on.”

Episode 2
“We do not fear heights, we fear falling. Nor do we fear the darkness… but, rather, what we think may be lurking there. And in matters of life and death, we do not fear dying: only that it may be final.”

Episode 3
 “It is not important to know what fate awaits you beyond the living plane. All that matters is that you know there is a ‘there’ there.”

Episode 4
“The greatest temptation in life is to pursue everything that catches your eye. What matters is: Are you willing to pursue only that which captures your heart.”

Episode 5
“The universe is a blank canvas, and you are the paint. The only thing that matters is how much of yourself you are willing to splash upon it.”

Episode 6
“The universe is impressed when you find the courage to stand with others. What matters more, however, are the times you find the courage to stand alone.”

Episode 7
“Everything in the universe is temporary, yet everything lasts forever. And it does not matter if you believe this—it will be true with or without your consent.”

Episode 8
 “It is not the job of the universe to tell you what your destiny is. For that matter, no one is destined to become anything other than what they choose to become.”

Episode 9
“No matter how unfair the world may seem, the world is perfect just the way it is.”

Episode 10
 “Those filled with hate believe the edge of the universe is surrounded in darkness, while those filled with love believe it to be bathed in light. But what does it matter? Upon their deaths, both will discover they were correct.”

Episode 11
“Your forgiveness may not matter to those who harm you, but it was never intended for them anyway. It is a gift you give yourself.”
 
Episode 12
 “When you die, one of the following two things must be true. You are dead and gone, or you are dead but not gone. To settle the matter once and for all, as far as the Universe is concerned, we are never gone.”

Episode 13
“The desire to remain young matters most to those who do not realize that growing old is a privilege denied to many.”

Episode 14
 “Your dreams matter to you, but also to the universe. Do not let anyone who has given up on their dreams talk you out of yours.”

Episode 15
 “The world is filled with unspeakable evil, but it is also filled with unstoppable love. The only thing that matters—as long as there is one person with a single ounce of love in their heart—is that evil cannot win.”

Episode 16
“The thing that matters most in your final hours is that you do not find yourself crying and begging for more time. Only those who have failed to live fear death.”

Episode 17
“There is no such thing as a lifetime—only a series of moments strung together that matter to us that we call a lifetime. To miss these moments is to miss your life.

Episode 18
“The universe is not interested in your long list of casual wants. The only thing that matters is your short list of passionate desires.”

Episode 19
“No matter what you think or how you feel when times are tough, life is a precious gift. Just how precious is it? Don’t worry. You know when you’re dead.”

Episode 20
“If knowing every secret in the universe matters to you, your time on earth will be a disappointment. The number of secrets is infinite; the capacity to understand is not.”

Episode 21
“The best way to deal with matters of hate, jealousy, anger, fear, and regret is to be so busy living your life that you simply have no time for any of them.”

Episode 22
“It does not matter that you reach out to the universe. What matters is that you reach inside yourself.”

Episode 23
“The universe does not care if you are beautiful. What matters is that you surround yourself with that which is beautiful to you.”

Episode 24
 “Nothing in the universe is good or bad, big or small, hot or cold, up or down, right or wrong. The only thing that matters is the perspective of the observer.”

Episode 25
“If fulfilling your mission on earth truly matters, why have you yet to even start? And don’t say it is because you don’t know your mission. You have always known.”

Episode 26
“In matters of karma, the universe is excruciatingly fair. What goes around does indeed come around. But you must understand: the universe is under no obligation to ensure it comes around to you.”

Episode 27
“Thoughts don’t just matter. They are matter. In the same way that the moon tugs on the oceans, the gravity of your thoughts have pulled both things and people into your life.”

Episode 28
“The true wonders of the universe can be seen in three ways: through the lens of a telescope, the lens of a microscope, and—when it matters most—the lens of human understanding.”

Episode 29
“Every choice, large or small, matters more than you’ll ever know. In the end, your life will have been nothing more than a collection of your choices.”

Episode 30
“Show the universe what matters most to you, and the universe will show you… you.”

Episode 31
“The differences between us matter less than the ways in which we are the same, for in the end we come to understand we were all connected by the same frail web called life.”


The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller
Diandra Archer

Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Publisher: Lust for Living
Date of Publication: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1947814226 
ASIN: B0B7QVRLYK
Number of pages: 280
Word Count: 64,000
Cover Artist: Alex at https://www.nessgraphica.com/

Tagline: If You Think Life is Precious, Just Wait Until You’re Dead

Book Description: 

A ragtag traveling circus sits outside a small California town. Two hundred miles north, the rumors of Onyx Webb, a legendary ghost, are "alive and well" in the seaside hamlet of Crimson Cove, Oregon.

After mysterious deaths occur in both places, the FBI gets involved. By the time the circus travels to Crimson Cove, the little town is starting to unravel. It's one thing to stop people from committing crimes, but how do you stop ghosts?



Onyx existed in a constant state of guilt over what she considered to be stealing the best years of Noah’s life. What some would call robbing the cradle or being what was currently called a cougar.

It was the opposite of the norm, in which men had a tendency to date and marry younger women.

When Onyx brought up the topic, Noah pointed out how it was no longer a big deal for couples to have differences in their age. “Age is just a number,” Noah would say, having pointed out the age difference between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. “She’s like 15 years older than he is.”

First, Onyx had absolutely no idea who these people were since she never watched television. And the 15-year age difference paled in comparison to their ages since Onyx was 114 and Noah was still in his 30s.

The thing that made the age difference livable, no pun intended, was that ghosts appeared as the age they were on the day they died and returned as their perfect selves. No scars or blemishes or wrinkles. Even severed limbs reappeared.

She may have been 114 years old, but in terms of appearance, Onyx looked 39.

And as a ghost, she would be 39 forever.

Assuming she could get the energy.

Onyx watched as Noah took advantage of the last bit of daylight, shirt off—sweating and swearing when the rocks wouldn’t fit together—his skin glistening with sweat and red with color.

Onyx held up her hand and examined it. Unlike Noah’s, her skin was gray. Transparent.

When she held the hand up to her face, she could see right through it.

Unacceptable.

Tonight, she would go to the hospital and see if there was anyone whose time had come. If there wasn’t, she would go into town and look for an addict shooting up in a dark alley—the kind that could be found in all towns, even small ones like Crimson Cove.

She had no problem taking drug addicts. They were killing themselves, anyway. If they wanted to die, she was happy to help them along.

Those who were young and healthy? No. Onyx’s code would not allow it. They were off-limits.

And children? Never.

Onyx walked to the opposite side of the lighthouse and peered out toward the water, seeing thin red lines of red forming as the sun was being slowly swallowed by the ocean.

Soon it would be dark. It was time.


About the Author:

Diandra Archer is the pen name for professional speakers and best-selling authors, Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz. Richard and Andrea have been entrepreneurs, writing and publishing non-fiction business books for over twenty years. Onyx Webb is their first fiction book series. They live in Central Florida with their cat Storey, and newly adopted senior dog, Peppers. Diandra Archer is a combination of both of their first names. 










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The care and feeding of vampires with Jen Colly #ParanormalRomance




Vampires, true vampires, are not the mythical mystery the world assumes. Most stories and superstitions come from human encounters with demons. Though both vampire and demon have been persecuted over the years to great extent, their fear is almost entirely based on the sins of demons. Though closely related at their genetic core, demons and vampires are vastly different.

Caring for a vampire? This is not often a necessity. Vampires are notoriously self-sufficient. They have been taught the dangers of demons since childhood, as well as the devastating effect of human knowledge of their existence, and have adjusted their lives accordingly. Centuries ago they built underground sanctuaries, hiding away their families from humans and demons who would do them harm. Over time, these hideaways became hubs of safety, community, and eventually became fully developed underground cities. Vampires care for their own.

Now, if by some rare chance you find an injured vampire, all bets are off. They will need care and feeding. This may include providing shelter from sunlight, or perhaps, a healthy helping of blood to begin healing their body. Whether or not they even allow you contact will depend greatly on your species, location, and the severity of the injury.

Be cautious. Even while skirting the edge of death, a vampire's singular priority is the safety and protection of his species. If he lives, you will become his, and in no way does this mean you will also become a vampire. If you retain knowledge of his species, you will never see the light of day again. Your singular life is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of his kind living underground.

The real trick is getting a vampire to feed and care for you. Should you gain his affections, you will know a deep and lasting devotion few could comprehend.


The Guardian
The Cities Below 
Book Five
Jen Colly

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 10/11/2022
ISBN:9798201144319
Number of pages: 300
Word Count: 97,000
Cover Artist: Ryan Imbrock

Tagline: Prepared to die...fighting to live.

Book Description:

Savard was in a mood to die, but when a human insists on saving his life, death is no longer an immediate option. He knew of no species – human, vampire, or demon – that could see him while in his invisible Spirit form. Unique to this world, this woman's singularity was a danger to the entire vampire race.

Waking behind bars in an underground vampire city was not how Sera envisioned her night drive ending. She has come to expect nothing from those who pass through her life, but this man, dying on the side of the road, proves to be different. Savard fights to free her from tyrannical vampire laws and to hide her unique abilities. What Sera doesn't understand, is why he would fight his growing love for her.

Savard's haunted past threatens to tear them apart. Soon, Sera discovers just how far her guardian is willing to go, and what he's willing to do, to keep her safe.


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Excerpt

Savard watched her delicate jaw drop at the sight of his fangs. Never in his long life had he shown a human what kind of creature lurked behind the visage of a man. He waited for her scream, expected her terrified flight or even a fainting spell. Instead of acting like a normal human, she just sat there, taking it all in, processing, and then out of the blue, the minx slugged him in the shoulder.

He groaned, not so much from her punch, but from stabilizing his core muscles to keep his body upright. Through gritted teeth, Savard asked, “What the hell was that for?”

“Give it a guess,” she huffed, not frightened, and certainly not shying away. “You can speak. Just say what you are. You didn’t need to threaten me with the pointy teeth.”

“Wasn’t a threat…won’t bite,” he mumbled. He knew he was behaving poorly, but his body ached, his hunger beat a heavy cadence against his tongue, and this woman had ruined his plans for a quick death.

His eyelids drifted shut, his head tilted back against the cushion. He was getting worse. The pain was there, but not exactly excruciating, making it easier to speak. His body was numbing out, going cold on the inside. Sensation was slipping away, along with life.

“If you’re what I think you are, then…” her soft voice trailed off, as if redirecting her question.

“What can I do? Be honest.”

“Nothing you’d be willing to do,” Savard said, cracking one eye open to observe her reaction, and when she shifted closer, he suddenly realized she still held his hand. In fact, her grip had never wavered. Even after he’d bared his fangs.

“Like letting you bite me? How can you be sure I wouldn’t?”

“I’m not asking.”

“But if it would help you…” Her delicate eyebrows scrunched together, and she asked in earnest,

“Would it help you? And would it hurt?”

His lips twitched, the beginnings of a smile that never fully formed. For some reason, he found explaining the nuances of a vampire’s bite to this innocent human amusing. “Blood heals. A bite is more pleasure than pain.”

“I wouldn’t turn into a…”

“No.”

“When you bite someone…” Her voice was hesitant, the first subtle hint of trepidation he’d found in her. “Do they die?”

“No. Life is precious,” he said quietly.

Deafening silence surrounded him and he closed his eyes again, the calm lulling him. Several minutes passed, or perhaps more, and then he unexpectedly caught her scent. The soft, delicate flesh of this woman had a scent all its own, and he opened his eyes to see her leaning close to him, her hand pulling that fluffy white-blonde mass of randomly braided hair away from her neck. Savard growled, closing his eyes against the temptation, and turned away from her.

“Why not?” she asked, her steady voice sending shivers through his battered body.

Teeth clenched, he said, “You should have left me there.”

About the Author:
 
Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with her supportive husband, two kids, one fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.









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Bloodlink by Raye T. Watson - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular



Blood Poem by a Murderous Vampire

Of all my character, Morsa is by far, the most villainous and violent. She is the main antagonist in my new novel, Bloodlink. I tried not to show a lot of her because her nature tends to lead some rather gory and graphic scenes, which I generally tend to avoid all together. But it does make her an interesting character to write. Not much is known about her past, but some of the other vampires suspect she was never human. She often speaks in a soft silky voice, trying to seduce others to follow after her, but as much as she seems to want followers, she will not hesitate to kill another vampire and drink their blood to make herself stronger. If she wrote a poem, I imagine it would be something like this:

Through boarded windows, moonlight peeps
In fractured light, the night life creeps
In the chamber of death, I make my home
Until I snatch it
If only it had known.

Silly thing, let us play
While the sunlight flees away.
There is such fun to be had.
Let me kill you
And make you sad.

Why should I let you live
When sweet blood you do give
Me? But oh, what tastes! Delicious! Divine!
When your blood
And life are mine.

You say I’ve lost my humanity.
You say I’ve lost my sanity.
But what is life lived on a lead?
To be kept in check
And to a sole master heed.

Weakness is found in foolish men
Who think they can bind me in this fox’s den.
But fools know not want power is
Or isn’t.
No man can make me his.

I’m a power beyond control
Beyond age, beyond all.
I do as I like and take what I see.
But if it’s a game you want,
Cat and mouse, you and me.

I’ll hide, and you find me.
Death will follow,
And all life will wilt and turn hollow.

I’m much better than that insolent whelp.
Someday, you’ll see, I’m trying to help.
But you’ll lock me away. Say that I’m dangerous.
No, Sir.
I’m just that spontaneous.

I just want to play with my bite and their blood.
Does that make me too hard to be loved?

Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the madden mind of my most wicked vampire. I loved being able to take this opportunity to guest blog today. Thank you so much, and happy hauntings!


Bloodlink
Raye T. Watson

Genre: YA Vampire and Paranormal Mystery 
Publisher: Knighted Phoenix Publishing
Date of Publication: August 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-958797-04-4
ASIN: 1958797049
Number of pages: 421
Word Count: 188,536
Cover Artist: Raye T. Watson

Tagline: Sometimes, in a world of darkness, it’s the secrets that keep you sane.

Book Description:

Katelyn Phillips hates the Greatlee Wood, the small forest near her home in Effingham, England. She just wants to forget the uncomfortable feeling of being watched whenever she sees that line of trees and move on with her life like a normal person. But when she wakes up one night numb and dead, the forest becomes the least of her worries.

Now she’s lost all connection with the outside world as she fights for control of her mind and the lust for blood. But she’s not alone.

Aidan O’Conner, the superstitious Irish fellow with centuries of experience, is willing to help. Together, with his family and friends, they teach Kate what it means to be a vampire and how to manage her newfound powers, but there are some secrets they are not so willing to share. Like why the door at the end of the hallway is always locked? Or why the manor they live in was half burned down 20 years ago? And how does it all tie into the ghost tale of the Armuary Phantom?

Can Kate uncover the truth and protect her new surrogate family, or will these secrets and deceit cause her to lose trust in everything, including herself?


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Something is wrong. I’m finally waking up. I can almost feel my consciousness slip into focus, but I still feel like I am floating.

I pry my eyes open, and I can see I am lying in a bed, but I can’t remember how I got there or when I’d gone to bed. Had I been hallucinating? Is Ryan okay?
I put my hand to my head, or I think I did. I can’t feel it. I can hear movement, but I can’t feel anything. I frown, realizing the floating feeling hasn’t gone away. It isn’t really like floating; it isn’t as soothing. It’s just... nothing.

That scares me.

My eyes pop open, and I sit up, feeling like my heart should have shot to my throat. This isn’t my bed. This isn’t my room.

It is dark in this room, but I can see it fine. Moonlight filters in through the window to my left and helps define the room. I am in a four-poster bed in a renaissance style room. It’s as big as my living room. It is beautiful, but how did I get here?

I hear the rustle of the bed covers and look down. I can see my hands on the covers, but as I grip them, twist them, and throw them away from me, I still have no sense of their weight or texture. I rub my fingers and hands together, but nothing.

I can’t feel... anything!

Alarmed and panicked, I take in air through shallow and quick breaths as I kick away from the things I can’t touch. In the process, I fall backward over the side of the bed and hit the floor with a thud. I wish I could say that it hurt. But without the bang that resonated in the room as I hit the ground, I may not have known I’d fallen at all.

What is wrong with me? Tears of fear fill my eyes. Fear as intoxicating as poison burns inside me, and I begin to cry, too scared to think. I crab crawl quickly away from the bed, as if it was the thing that made me this way. I crunch against the far bedroom wall, which stops me from going any further. I turn and run my hands along the wall, but it’s the same as the bed. Without my sight, I wouldn’t even know it was there. Terror grips me, and I curl up in the corner and hug myself, but it doesn’t help. It’s as if my whole body is filled with novocaine.

Before too long, I can hear footsteps outside the room I’m in. They sound like they’re coming toward me. They are going to find me. I don’t know if I want them to or not.

About the Author:

Raye T. Watson grew up in Northern California near the capital of Sacramento where she continues to live with her family. She is the only girl and second oldest of four children. She graduated Brigham Young University – Idaho with a bachelor's degree and a minor in English. She enjoys learning and being a jack-of-all-trades.

As a kid, she actually did not like reading as a kid because her reading level was slight below average compared to other kids in her grade, but she loves most anything with a story: movies, TV shows, video games. But books were too boring to bother with. When she was 11 years old, her older brother tried to get her in a newer series about a young boy who learns he is a wizard and had to take an invisible train to go to wizarding school. She was not interested. But this book had a movie coming out, which he was very excited to see, so their parents took them to see the first Harry Potter movie. Watson was so enthralled with this magical world, she read books 1-4 before the second film was released in theaters. And thus, her love of reading was born.

Watson had always loved creating her own stories, whether it was creating new characters to fix the TV show plotlines during the commercials or playing games of make believe with her younger brother, but once she started reading, she began to write. None of her written stories ever got far, but she dreamed it all in her mind. 

In early 2010, she got her first glimpse of what would become her debut novel, Bloodlink. She’d always loved vampires and the spooky thrills of Halloween, and having finished the Twilight Series and Dracula, she began to define her own kind of vampire.

In the summer of 2012, she met the lady who would become her best friend and fellow author, Charity Mae. Watson and Mae swamped stories during their first meeting and have encouraged each other’s writing ever since.

Watson continues to write to this day and enjoys drawing and painting in her free time. She created the cover art and title page art for her book and hope to publish more art and books in the years to come.


 








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Friday, October 21, 2022

MtG's Favorite Books



I was supposed to think of a list of Top 10 books…and I couldn’t get to ten. 

I’m not some crazy stickler. I have read and enjoyed a huge number of books. But, to be put on a list of my absolute favorite books, the books needs to feel particularly special. How can I tell that a book is special? When I can tell you the names of my favorite characters from a book a year after reading it, or regurgitate things characters said or did and talk about them like they happened to my best friend. 

I love mixed genre novels when it comes to fantasy– a bit of romance, a bit of adventure, a bit of paranormal, a bit of scary (and you can even add a bit of sci-fi…as long as it’s just a bit. Lol). So, this is my list of Top 6, Fantasy Plus a Bit of….

1. Paranormal and Vampire:
Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

Alright, this is simply a classic and if you haven’t read it (or at least seen the movie, which includes some very hot male actors being even hotter vampires!) you need to…NOW.

One of the main reasons I love Anne Rice’s take on the vampire genre is that it isn’t focused solely on that typical, eternal love trope. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the pure vampire love story, except that personally, I find it’s been overdone and I prefer vampire tales that somehow go further or deeper. Anne Rice takes a much deeper look at the concept of an eternal life and the loneliness that comes with losing those around you. It’s absolutely beautiful and in many ways heart-wrenching.

2. Superpowers and magical world:
Jade City by Fonda Lee

This book isn’t focused on paranormal or vampires but I include it in my top
list of most genres (if it in any way fits) because it’s just so amazing!

First off, I love the fact that it’s written by a female, martial artist. So, not only does she do action and fighting scenes well, but she also does female characters in a male-dominated world very realistically. Fonda Lee creates an entire world, which is in many ways like our world but with fantasy and superpower aspects. It’s kind of like the Marvel Universe but better! Trust me. It’s better! This book won the 2018 World Fantasy Award and it deserved it. I cried and couldn’t get over it for days when one of the characters I liked died, that’s how well Fonda Lee does character development.

3. Vampire and Witchy Romance, Magic and Action
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I’m going to say something…and you can hate me if you want…Ready?

This book is the better version of Twilight. Yup, I did just say that! Look, I’m not hating on Twilight. It’s on this list too. But, it’s the last book on this list for a couple of reasons (which I describe more under the book). For now, I’ll tell you what A Discovery of Witches did better.

In A Discovery of Witches, we have that vampire love story which in many ways reminds me of the Twilight one. However, the protagonist in Discovery of Witches, Dr. Diana Bishop, is much better developed. She’s not just there to fall in love. She has a complete personality which includes her own hobbies, interests and career. She’s simply a cool woman that you would love to have lunch with. Let’s all be honest: Bella from Twilight just isn’t. Frankly, she’d probably flood the restaurant with her incessant crying over Edward and bore us to tears with the fact that she simply has no other topic of discussion.  


4. Every Magical/Mythical Creature (including Vamps) in an alternate version of Earth plus some steamy Enemies to Lovers romance with a badass angel.  
Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas

The first thing I loved about Crescent City is the heroine, Bryce. Bryce is tough and smart, but, she’s also secure about her sexuality. I find this all too rare in novels. I’m tired of the perpetually insecure heroine. Bryce loves her body, loves sexy clothes and doesn’t care what others say about it. It’s awesome.

The second thing I loved about this book was that it did a really great job of balancing a pretty steamy Enemies to Lovers thing with a much deeper plot. That plot included a murder mystery, which was really well played out and had a great twist that I didn’t guess!

5. An alien-human war with superpowers and a love triangle plus an interesting take on ancient Chinese Lore
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Yes, yes, I know. We are all tired of the typical love triangle. And that’s why I liked this book – the triangle is very much NOT typical. Trust me on this; you’ll be surprised.

This book is very feminist in nature. Xiran Jay Zhao does bring in dark sides of Chinese history into the story, in terms of how women were very much kept under control. I don’t like fiction books that try to secretly teach me lessons, however, Zhao doesn’t do that. The author is very transparent about the fact that she means for this story to bring focus to women’s right. I respect, and appreciate, Zhao for this.

Besides being feminist focused, Iron Widow is a fantasy/Sci-fi action which includes mental superpowers, romance, revenge and an intense twist.

6. Paranormal romance
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

If you’ve read my description of A Discovery of Witches then you already 
know I have my beef with Twilight. However, before I start ranting, I will say that Twilight is a paranormal romance that did define a generation and for that it’s on this list. The first book, in many ways, felt like a modern-day retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it did touch me. I also loved many of the side characters, such as many of the shapeshifters and Edward’s vampire family. 

My main beef with the story: The protagonist, Bella. She had zero personality of her own. If you disagree, tell me one hobby or passion that Bella possessed that was not related to Edward. In all honesty, she offended me as a woman and I would cry if I had a daughter that was a Bella. I mean, haven’t we gone at least a tiny bit forward in society, that a woman should have value on her own? Do you remember book 2 where Bella just sits in despair for MONTHS because her man (whom she dated for a total of a couple of months at the age of 17) left? Ahhhhhh!!!!!! (Yes, I am screaming in frustration).

Still, some great side characters, some touching moments and now a classic vampire retelling.

Terra Nova 
Book 1
MtG

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy 
Publisher: Friesenpress
Date of Publication: July 23, 2020
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1525572016
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1525572012
ASIN: B08DWQ4FHK
Word Count: 135, 430
Cover Artist: Friesenpress

Tagline: Everybody dies but only few of us manage to live

Book Description:

Evangeline is living the life of a normal teenager until mysterious, severe symptoms begin appearing. After passing out in the middle of a party, life as she knows it spirals beyond her grasp. She is then diagnosed with a rare, genetic blood disorder that causes her body’s white blood cells to kill the red ones. In the delirium of her deteriorating health, a door to a parallel world opens before her; however, once she steps through it, the portal closes, and she is unable to return to Earth.

The place Evangeline now finds herself in is called Terra Nova, a world wherein vampires rule supreme, with no traces of humanity left to speak of. Curious but afraid, she quickly learns that Terra Nova is not the shadow-side of Earth, but rather the tragic result of government experimentation. In order to survive, she must keep her mind open and accept the changes her body is undergoing; soon enough, those who she initially thinks are murderers become her trainers, whose help she must enlist if she ever hopes to return home—and soon enough, a romantic bond begins to bloom. 

Meanwhile, Evangeline’s brother and friends back on Earth try to figure out what happened to her, how the government is involved, and how to bring her home. Unbeknownst to any of them is the mysterious outcast Bambi, whose secrecy disguises her power in making a devastating choice: save one world at the risk of destroying the other.


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Excerpt:

Evangeline stood up and sighed. She started to walk down the street in the direction of the Duke’s house, done her trailing for the night, when she heard a voice behind her, “Did you expect to track someone who is already tracking you?”
She turned to see Josepina standing in the middle of the road in a blue gown with blue and gold embroidery along its hemlines and birds of all sizes and shapes embroidered into every spot and space on it. Looking at the dress Evangeline wondered how Josepina stalked her so inconspicuously. Did she go around town hiding in holes?

“Yeah, I guess I was a little optimistic in my skills,” Evangeline said.

“Not a little,” Josepina said, “You must know something about me now. I could lead his highness in eternal circles, Evangeline. You would have more chances tracking him, actually. So why is it that you hoped to find me?”

“Well, I guess I was just practising tracking...” Josepina was looking at her with an amused smile. Evangeline knew that Josepina could sense if she was full of shit. Obviously Evangeline could have practised on anyone. She changed approaches,

“Well, I guess I’ve never known a lady of...pleasure?”

Josepina’s smile grew broader, “And what do you hope to learn from me?”

Evangeline’s face turned red, “Nothing, actually. I guess I was just curious about you because you have so much more life in you than most people here. You still talk about everything and seem to think about everything. It’s…. rare. And your clothes...how do you do it?”

“That is a much more interesting question than I thought you had,” Josepina said, “the dress...well, I create them out of hunger during the day with whatever materials I find. Crocheting and embroidering is time consuming. A perfect activity. Dressing up is also time consuming. Another perfect activity. Though I think most find the contrast of the bright clothing and their own ugliness something of a depressing reality.”

Josepina looked up at the night sky and then at Evangeline, “I will walk with you to the Duke’s” She began to walk and Evangeline stepped up beside her.

“The way we are now,” Josepina continued, “vampires as you like to call us, is a stagnant way. We cannot change, on the outside or the inside. You have seen that Ehvan can memorize facts, but his mind will always be that of a child. The inner maturation of his brain is related to the physical changes that happen within it. Something that cannot happen in this state. Someone whose mind was not very...developed...before, will not develop much now. They will know more facts. Learn skills. But they will not grow inside as humans.”

“And you?”

“I suppose my goal was always to understand other humans and through that to understand and know myself. I never considered that it was anything unusual, but looking around me now, I see that it is a rare goal.”

“I wonder what I would be like as one of you,” Evangeline said offhandedly.

“An odd thing to wonder after seeing us,” Josepina said, “though the fact that you actually thought to ponder this means that you would do better than most. You have almost no sixth sense ability but you have more depth than most pretty, young girls.

“Thank you. You know, I didn’t think you liked me much, to be honest.”

“I’m still deciding,” Josepina smiled a little shrewdly, “However, you stood in front of a city of beings that could rip you apart and you were able to look at us and speak to us as if we were still people. I respect that. Respect is more important than like.”

Evangeline let a couple minutes pass in silence before she asked the next question,“So, is it really true about the physical intimacy? I mean, is it impossible for you now?”

Josepina looked at her with that half-curious, half-knowing look and Evangeline quickly added, “I’m just wondering since there are some married couples that I have seen...”

Evangeline was doing her utmost to convince her face not to turn red. Of course she wasn’t just curious out of the blue. She was in an unspoken, apparently platonic, bed-sharing arrangement with a male whom she wanted to kick in the head for the majority of each night while at the same time looking forward to each morning in his room. Every day, when she put down her book and climbed under the covers she lay stiff and anxious, wondering if he would lie down beside her, knowing that he occasionally did, but never being awake when it happened.

Josepina’s lips curled into a wide, knowing smile and killed any chance Evangeline had of keeping the colour on her face normal.




About the Author:

MTG has worked in numerous positions, mainly in managerial and executive roles. These include the editor-in-chief of a cultural magazine, an executive director, and most recently, the manager of a non-profit organization that works with immigrants and refugees. She has extensive experience working and studying abroad, including Germany, Italy, Korea, Abu Dhabi, and Pakistan; these experiences taught her about many cultures and worldviews, which influenced her writing. 

Terra Nova, her first publication, is Book 1 of a series. The series’ concept emerged when she, like the protagonist, was diagnosed with the blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and her then-boyfriend (now husband) joked she was becoming a vampire. She currently works and resides in Canada.





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