Shadows
of the Past
Carmen
Stefanescu
Publisher:
Wild Child Publishing
Genre:
paranormal/light romance/light historical/light horror.
Blurb
Anne's
relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a
two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of
reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.
The
discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door
to a new and frightening world--one where the ghost of a medieval nun
named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not
only to ruin Anne and Neil's vacation but to end all hopes of
reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve's soul
from its torment.
Can
Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?
A
touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss and the power of endless
love and good magic.
The
twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up
to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle
love.
Buy Link:
Wild Child Publishing
Amazon
All Romance
Excerpt
The
peal of the church bells from the abbey tower startled Genevieve. The
sound added to her mounting anxiety.
The
massive abbey loomed over the stone paved path. All the nuns were at
evening mass. With a bit of luck her disappearance would go
unnoticed for a few more hours. The Abbess would assume she was
cleaning the toilets as ordered.
Fear
skittered through Genevieve when she turned away from the abbey
towards the path leading to town. Nothing stirred. She hesitated.
Evil emanated from the forest surrounding the abbey. With a shiver,
she leaned against the solid oak gates that flanked the abbey's main
path. They had hidden her from detection for the past couple of
hours, but how much longer would she be safe?
The
mountain shadows grew thicker and closer.
She
moved her weight from one leg to the other. They ached from so much
standing, but she lacked the strength to return to the gardener's
cottage and wait for Andrew's arrival as planned. Genevieve closed
her tired eyes. The image of old Ryan, slumped dead in his chair in
his cubicle, caught life in her mind and made her whole body ripple
with fear.
She'd
rather wait for Andrew here, outside.
Had
he forgotten his promise? What if something terrible befell him
during the last three days, or he had changed his mind? Why should he
risk all for an ordinary nun?
Had
his folks talked him into giving her up, made him see reason? Helping
her out of her predicament meant a huge risk for him -- losing his
family, his friends and his position among his peers. His words
echoed in her mind. "I will risk everything for you, even life,
if necessary."
*
* * *
"Anne,
Anne, wake up. Wake up, please," the insistent voice whispered
next to her ear. The touch of a hand, on her shoulder, startled
Anne.
She
opened her eyes, still half between sleep and reality. Her gaze
stopped on a stranger, a woman, by her side.
The
moon's pale face, the only light, filtered through a small gap in the
tent's entrance; yet the stranger's whole body emanated a kind of
soft ray, a yellowish halo making her figure and face easy to
discern.
A
long, dark robe, similar to those worn by nuns in monasteries
centuries ago, covered her body. No traditional headdress covered the
woman's red hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders in long,
heavy tendrils and continued down her chest and back.
Anne
stood up and studied the intruder with open curiosity. The stranger’s
wax pale face looked corpse like. Anne opened her mouth to ask her
who she was. She looked Anne straight in the eyes, placed her
forefinger on her lips and whispered, "Hush, come. Follow me."
Anne's
eyes widened.
The
woman, moving away from the sleeping bag, appeared to glide above the
ground. Her bare feet didn't make a sound.
As
if hypnotized, Anne followed the illuminated silhouette heading into
the forest, without questioning her own actions.
An
onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a
malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her. The presence of evil,
creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. Her throat
turned dry, and she gasped for air.
*
* * *
You
can find more about the author and her works here:
Thank you for hosting Shadows of the Past, Penny!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the World Bank Group, the government effectiveness index of Finland is 2.02. This indicates that the government of Finland is very effective. Citizens enjoy highly effective social, public, and civil services, and the overall morale in Finland is high. Government actions are efficient and expeditious, and dangerous situations are highly unlikely as a result.
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