Theresa Van Spankeren's Blog, page 9
November 30, 2016
Many Thanks
I wanted to thank the readers who made the sales on Halloween and Black Friday weekend a success! I hope you like book 1 and continue with the series!
Whether you liked Lost Soul or hated it, I am always honored if you decide to leave a review.
I wish everyone a blessed and safe Holiday season!
Whether you liked Lost Soul or hated it, I am always honored if you decide to leave a review.
I wish everyone a blessed and safe Holiday season!
November 15, 2016
Book 3 Snippet
Hello everyone! You are probably itching to read the snippet of Book 3 I have been promising. It might be a little late, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!
The little hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end. I had the sudden feeling that something was not right. I stood still a moment and felt eyes watching me. I knew it wasn’t my mind playing tricks on me. There is no other feeling in the world that comes close to the creepy feeling you get when someone is watching you.
I turned slowly and saw one of the three humans who had hurried past me now twenty feet away. He was studying me with keen interest. The other two humans, a woman and a man were farther down the street.
The man watching me was about six feet tall, unusually tall, especially for around here. He was wearing a hat, but I could tell he had dark hair, deep brown or maybe black. I had never seen him before in my life. However, I stared at him uneasily. Something about him scared me to the very core of my being and it had nothing to do with the stakes I now see he carried. Yes, he was a Hunter, which meant the other two were as well . . . but that wasn’t what frightened me. For some reason he reminded me of my dead husband and he wasn’t looking at me the way a hunter would look at prey. It was something else entirely. But what it was, I didn’t know.
“Stefan, che cosa sono voi che fate?! Andiamo; altro quello sta andando via!” the woman shouted in Italian, sounding exasperated.
The Hunter, Stefan, glanced towards them. Their companion continued, “Donna è giusta. Dovremmo continuare con il piano. Potete sempre ottenere questo successivamente..”
I eyed the Hunters warily. The Hunter closest to me, the one they called Stefan, appeared to have deviated from a plan they had been following. Why?
He looked back at me with a half-smile. “Juliana,” he muttered and headed towards the other two Hunters.
The unexpected use of my full name jerked me out of the strange paralysis that had engulfed me. Blind fear made me spin back around and race towards the house, without stopping to ponder how he had known my full name, or the more curious fact that he had said it in English.
The little hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end. I had the sudden feeling that something was not right. I stood still a moment and felt eyes watching me. I knew it wasn’t my mind playing tricks on me. There is no other feeling in the world that comes close to the creepy feeling you get when someone is watching you.
I turned slowly and saw one of the three humans who had hurried past me now twenty feet away. He was studying me with keen interest. The other two humans, a woman and a man were farther down the street.
The man watching me was about six feet tall, unusually tall, especially for around here. He was wearing a hat, but I could tell he had dark hair, deep brown or maybe black. I had never seen him before in my life. However, I stared at him uneasily. Something about him scared me to the very core of my being and it had nothing to do with the stakes I now see he carried. Yes, he was a Hunter, which meant the other two were as well . . . but that wasn’t what frightened me. For some reason he reminded me of my dead husband and he wasn’t looking at me the way a hunter would look at prey. It was something else entirely. But what it was, I didn’t know.
“Stefan, che cosa sono voi che fate?! Andiamo; altro quello sta andando via!” the woman shouted in Italian, sounding exasperated.
The Hunter, Stefan, glanced towards them. Their companion continued, “Donna è giusta. Dovremmo continuare con il piano. Potete sempre ottenere questo successivamente..”
I eyed the Hunters warily. The Hunter closest to me, the one they called Stefan, appeared to have deviated from a plan they had been following. Why?
He looked back at me with a half-smile. “Juliana,” he muttered and headed towards the other two Hunters.
The unexpected use of my full name jerked me out of the strange paralysis that had engulfed me. Blind fear made me spin back around and race towards the house, without stopping to ponder how he had known my full name, or the more curious fact that he had said it in English.
November 13, 2016
Super Moon!
I have been outside gazing at the super moon on and off all weekend long. It is so beautiful! So large and bright!
The shadows are almost as distinct as they would be on filtered sun days. It is quite amazing. Some of the most amazing spectacles are produced in nature.
If you haven't gone and looked at the moon yet this weekend, I suggest you do so if you can.
The shadows are almost as distinct as they would be on filtered sun days. It is quite amazing. Some of the most amazing spectacles are produced in nature.
If you haven't gone and looked at the moon yet this weekend, I suggest you do so if you can.
October 28, 2016
Halloween Sale 2016!
Hello everyone!Halloween is only 3 days away! To celebrate, the War of Destiny series will be on sale for a short time!
Book 1 "Lost Soul" will be FREE from Oct 30th through Oct 31st!
US: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Soul-War-D...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Soul-War...
Book 2 "Pursuit into Darkness" will be on sale for 99¢ from Oct 30th through Oct 31st!
US: http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-into-Da...
Uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pursuit-into...
Book 1 "Lost Soul" will be FREE from Oct 30th through Oct 31st!
US: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Soul-War-D...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Soul-War...
Book 2 "Pursuit into Darkness" will be on sale for 99¢ from Oct 30th through Oct 31st!
US: http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-into-Da...
Uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pursuit-into...
October 16, 2016
Old Bluff - A Halloween Story
This is a (very) short story I wrote a couple years ago. I did some revision and here we are! I decided to put it up for the Halloween season. I hope you enjoy it!
The green Malibu was stopped along a dark hilly road. The driver clutched the steering wheel in a death grip as someone climbed into the passenger side of the car.
“We can go now, Jessica.” There was a moment of silence. “Jessica?”
“I–I just hit someone, Dimitri.”
“What?”
“I was driving, waiting for you. When I rounded the curve back there someone stepped out in front of the car. I hit the brakes but I couldn’t stop!”
“Jessica! Why didn’t you call the police?”
“I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do…”
“Goddamnit, Jessica!” Dimitri yelled and grabbed an emergency flashlight from the glove compartment. He headed for the front of the car.
“Dimitri?”
His rich baritone laughter drifted back to her. “Really funny, Jessica! You almost had me going.”
“This isn’t a joke! I hit someone back there!”
“Going what? Two miles an hour? Come on, the joke’s over, Jessi.”
“Why are you being so mean? I’m telling you I hit someone!” she screamed. “I was doing almost 40 on the curve and someone walked out in front of me!”
Dimitri leaned back into the car. “How can that be? There’s not a scratch on the car, Jessi.”
“I don’t understand. I saw him, I felt the thud…”
“You really think you saw something? Fine, let’s drive back there and take a look.” He shook his head and slid back into the vehicle.
She nodded and turned the car around, driving back to the curve where she struck the man. They got out and started searching the ditches and bushes near the sides of the road. The dim light from the headlights and Dimitri’s flashlight elongated the trees’ shadows, making them eerie in the night’s stillness. Jessica shivered slightly.
“I’m not seeing anybody, Jessica,” Dimitri said, a few minutes later. “Maybe you fell asleep behind the wheel and dreamt the whole damn thing.”
“I wasn’t sleeping!”
“I don’t know what to say, Jessi. There are no marks on the car, I don’t see any blood. All I see are trees.”
“I want to get turned around and come back down Old Bluff the same way I was going when it happened. Maybe we’ll see him with the headlights facing the same way.”
“I don’t know…whatever,” Dimitri grumbled as they got back in the car. “One pass down and then let’s go home. I’m tired….”
The Malibu swung down the road again. “Dimitri, the curve will be coming up. Look for someone lying in the bushes on your side.”
“This is stupid…no one is out here at this time of the night,” he whined. “I can’t see anything but trees and– Jessica, look out!” he yelled, as a man dressed in white stepped in front of their car.
Jessica screamed and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The car careened off the curve and into a small tree.
“It’s him…same man. But how, I hit…already…” Dimitri heard Jessica wheeze as darkness engulfed his vision.
The green Malibu was stopped along a dark hilly road. The driver clutched the steering wheel in a death grip as someone climbed into the passenger side of the car.
“We can go now, Jessica.” There was a moment of silence. “Jessica?”
“I–I just hit someone, Dimitri.”
“What?”
“I was driving, waiting for you. When I rounded the curve back there someone stepped out in front of the car. I hit the brakes but I couldn’t stop!”
“Jessica! Why didn’t you call the police?”
“I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do…”
“Goddamnit, Jessica!” Dimitri yelled and grabbed an emergency flashlight from the glove compartment. He headed for the front of the car.
“Dimitri?”
His rich baritone laughter drifted back to her. “Really funny, Jessica! You almost had me going.”
“This isn’t a joke! I hit someone back there!”
“Going what? Two miles an hour? Come on, the joke’s over, Jessi.”
“Why are you being so mean? I’m telling you I hit someone!” she screamed. “I was doing almost 40 on the curve and someone walked out in front of me!”
Dimitri leaned back into the car. “How can that be? There’s not a scratch on the car, Jessi.”
“I don’t understand. I saw him, I felt the thud…”
“You really think you saw something? Fine, let’s drive back there and take a look.” He shook his head and slid back into the vehicle.
She nodded and turned the car around, driving back to the curve where she struck the man. They got out and started searching the ditches and bushes near the sides of the road. The dim light from the headlights and Dimitri’s flashlight elongated the trees’ shadows, making them eerie in the night’s stillness. Jessica shivered slightly.
“I’m not seeing anybody, Jessica,” Dimitri said, a few minutes later. “Maybe you fell asleep behind the wheel and dreamt the whole damn thing.”
“I wasn’t sleeping!”
“I don’t know what to say, Jessi. There are no marks on the car, I don’t see any blood. All I see are trees.”
“I want to get turned around and come back down Old Bluff the same way I was going when it happened. Maybe we’ll see him with the headlights facing the same way.”
“I don’t know…whatever,” Dimitri grumbled as they got back in the car. “One pass down and then let’s go home. I’m tired….”
The Malibu swung down the road again. “Dimitri, the curve will be coming up. Look for someone lying in the bushes on your side.”
“This is stupid…no one is out here at this time of the night,” he whined. “I can’t see anything but trees and– Jessica, look out!” he yelled, as a man dressed in white stepped in front of their car.
Jessica screamed and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right. The car careened off the curve and into a small tree.
“It’s him…same man. But how, I hit…already…” Dimitri heard Jessica wheeze as darkness engulfed his vision.
September 29, 2016
Author Interview
I had the privilege of being hosted on Lindsay Marie Miller's blog. I had a lot of fun answering the questions posed. I always find these interviews enjoyable because there is always a question that is a little bit different.
Thank you very much for the opportunity, Lindsay! You can find the interview here:
https://lindsaymariemillerauthor.com/...
Thank you very much for the opportunity, Lindsay! You can find the interview here:
https://lindsaymariemillerauthor.com/...
September 15, 2016
Book 3 Update and Sneak Peek
Hello my patient followers and readers! I appreciate your understanding as I have gotten myself back together. I know there are still difficult milestones for my family and I ahead this year, but I think I have turned a small corner.
I have returned to revising book 3, which is still in its early stages. It is slow progress, but progress nonetheless. This brings me to the fulfillment of a promise I made - another peek at the newest book. Be warned -it is a little dark. Hope you enjoy the teaser!
I rolled down my sleeve again and then thoughtfully pointed the sharp end of the wood at my chest. I was so tired. Weary of the fighting, of the mistrust, the isolation. I had no help, all of my desperate prayers and pleas for help and forgiveness has been met with silence, both by the people here, as well as by the God I had known and worshipped while human.
Looking down, I debated shoving it in. Before I could make a decision, I caught a glimpse of someone with black hair standing by the far wall. “Oh, Lord, Gregory, will you just leave me alone already?! I swear if you do not go away, I’m going to use this –” I said as I turned towards the person. I broke off in mid-sentence and whispered, “Kali?”
The person who was standing by the wall wasn’t Gregory. It was a young woman who was about Kali’s age, but it was not her as I first thought. This girl’s eyes were a beautiful shade of blue-green, not gray. She wore a lovely white dress. “Who are you?” I asked in confusion. “How did you get in here?”
She pointed at the wood I held, shook her head, and suddenly disappeared. I dropped it and jumped backwards with a startled scream, nearly falling off the bed.
“Julia? Are you all right?” Mary Anne called from down the hall.
I stared at the spot where the young woman had stood. I was equally surprised by Mary Anne’s inquiry. I do not remember the last time someone had checked in on me. “Yes,” I managed to call back. “I’m fine. I – I was just dreaming. Do not worry.”
After a second, I took a shaky breath and got up. I re-hid the piece of wood and glanced back to where the girl had stood. For some reason she seemed vaguely familiar but I had no idea who she was. Nor did I have any idea why she appeared to me the way she had. She had startled me at first, but now I realized I hadn’t felt any fear or anxiety when I realized it was her and not Gregory.
Shaking my head, I wondered if I should be worried. The young lady I saw clearly was not really here. Was my sanity failing yet again?
I have returned to revising book 3, which is still in its early stages. It is slow progress, but progress nonetheless. This brings me to the fulfillment of a promise I made - another peek at the newest book. Be warned -it is a little dark. Hope you enjoy the teaser!
I rolled down my sleeve again and then thoughtfully pointed the sharp end of the wood at my chest. I was so tired. Weary of the fighting, of the mistrust, the isolation. I had no help, all of my desperate prayers and pleas for help and forgiveness has been met with silence, both by the people here, as well as by the God I had known and worshipped while human.
Looking down, I debated shoving it in. Before I could make a decision, I caught a glimpse of someone with black hair standing by the far wall. “Oh, Lord, Gregory, will you just leave me alone already?! I swear if you do not go away, I’m going to use this –” I said as I turned towards the person. I broke off in mid-sentence and whispered, “Kali?”
The person who was standing by the wall wasn’t Gregory. It was a young woman who was about Kali’s age, but it was not her as I first thought. This girl’s eyes were a beautiful shade of blue-green, not gray. She wore a lovely white dress. “Who are you?” I asked in confusion. “How did you get in here?”
She pointed at the wood I held, shook her head, and suddenly disappeared. I dropped it and jumped backwards with a startled scream, nearly falling off the bed.
“Julia? Are you all right?” Mary Anne called from down the hall.
I stared at the spot where the young woman had stood. I was equally surprised by Mary Anne’s inquiry. I do not remember the last time someone had checked in on me. “Yes,” I managed to call back. “I’m fine. I – I was just dreaming. Do not worry.”
After a second, I took a shaky breath and got up. I re-hid the piece of wood and glanced back to where the girl had stood. For some reason she seemed vaguely familiar but I had no idea who she was. Nor did I have any idea why she appeared to me the way she had. She had startled me at first, but now I realized I hadn’t felt any fear or anxiety when I realized it was her and not Gregory.
Shaking my head, I wondered if I should be worried. The young lady I saw clearly was not really here. Was my sanity failing yet again?
August 15, 2016
Update on Giveaway and Book 3
I simply wanted to give an update on various things going on. First and foremost, I want to assure the winners that the books have been sent and should be arriving within the next few days. I hope each of you enjoy reading the book.
Secondly, I want to let my readers know what is happening with book 3. I had briefly mentioned there was personal tragedy within the family late last month. There has been quite an upheaval with life and grief. Unfortunately, this has taken quite a toll on me and my capability to write, revise, etc. As a result, work on book 3 of the series is not as far as I would have liked by this time.
I am now looking at sometime next year before it will be out. I will try to get out some more teasers/excerpts in the next few months. I greatly appreciate my fans' understanding and patience during this difficult time. I am hoping that I can resume working on book 3 in earnest within the next month or so.
Thank you so much.
Secondly, I want to let my readers know what is happening with book 3. I had briefly mentioned there was personal tragedy within the family late last month. There has been quite an upheaval with life and grief. Unfortunately, this has taken quite a toll on me and my capability to write, revise, etc. As a result, work on book 3 of the series is not as far as I would have liked by this time.
I am now looking at sometime next year before it will be out. I will try to get out some more teasers/excerpts in the next few months. I greatly appreciate my fans' understanding and patience during this difficult time. I am hoping that I can resume working on book 3 in earnest within the next month or so.
Thank you so much.
August 9, 2016
Congrats to the Giveaway Winners!
The Giveaway for Lost Soul is now complete. There was an amazing turnout of people who entered to win and I want to thank all 721 of you for your interest!
If you did not win, don't worry! There will be a Kindle event on Halloween this year. Follow me here or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarofDestiny/ for updates as the date draws closer.
Congratulations to the three winners - Melissa O. and Lisa B. both from North Carolina, and Carrie W. from Colorado! Your signed books will be in the mail by early next week!
If you did not win, don't worry! There will be a Kindle event on Halloween this year. Follow me here or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarofDestiny/ for updates as the date draws closer.
Congratulations to the three winners - Melissa O. and Lisa B. both from North Carolina, and Carrie W. from Colorado! Your signed books will be in the mail by early next week!
August 1, 2016
Giveaway Update
Hello everyone! Things have been very busy for me the last few weeks. I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues and tragedy, but I have not forgotten about my obligation to the Giveaway I set up before any of this happened.
I wanted to remind my readers and followers that this is the last week to enter to win one of three autographed copies!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Good luck!
I wanted to remind my readers and followers that this is the last week to enter to win one of three autographed copies!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Good luck!
