Megan Morgan's Blog, page 16

Did You Turn Back Time?

Here in (most of) the US daylight saving time ended this morning at 2 a.m. local time. We got an extra hour of sleep last night! The next few days sunrise and sunset are gonna feel wonky and we’re gonna feel vaguely like it’s the wrong time of day all the time! Let the fun begin! Yet, somehow I feel like it’s better than in spring when we lose an hour.

Did you turn your clocks back? If not, WHOOPS, BETTER GO DO THAT.

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Second Sight by J.A. Culican

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Second Sight
Hollows Ground Book 1
by J.A. Culican
Genre: Epic Urban Fantasy, Romance


What if you could foresee death?

Mirela can prophesy the death of whomever she sees. At thirteen, Ela

foretold the death of her best friend, only to watch it happen before

her very eyes. Ela, now twenty-one, spends her days locked away in

her apartment, avoiding the public and the gift she considers a curse.

Until he appears.

Luka Conway is handsome. Charming. And magical. After Ela predicts yet

another death, Luka leads her to an underground city hidden beneath

Atlanta, populated by empaths, telepaths, and seers. Luka is a Shade,

a soldier fighting a secret war against the Wraiths, a deadly group

of sorcerers who wish to take over the world. Ela is given no choice;

she must prove herself a Shade, and use her powers for the light, or

she will be put to death. Resolved to her fate, Ela trains as a

warrior, determined to put her curse to good use.

Then Talon Michaels appears. He’s just as dashing as Luka, and even more

dangerous. A Wraith, Talon warns Ela that the Shades aren’t all what

they appear. Who can Ela trust, if anyone? Should her powers be used

for good…or evil? Which should she choose?

Full of action, adventure, and romance, Second Sight is an exciting young

adult epic fantasy. It’s sure to please fans of USA Today bestselling

author J.A. Culican’s The Keeper of Dragons series.


Goodreads * Amazon





J.A. Culican is a USA Today Bestselling author of the middle grade fantasy

series Keeper of Dragons. Her first novel in the fictional series

catapulted a trajectory of titles and awards, including top selling

author on the USA Today bestsellers list and Amazon, and a rightfully

earned spot as an international best seller. Additional accolades

include Best Fantasy Book of 2016, Runner-up in Reality Bites Book

Awards, and 1st place for Best Coming of Age Book from the Indie book

Awards.



J.A. Culican holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Niagara

University, in which she has been teaching special education for over

11 years. She is also the president of the autism awareness

non-profit Puzzle Peace United. J.A. Culican resides in Southern New

Jersey with her husband and four young children.


Website * Facebook * Street Team * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest * Amazon * Goodreads



Follow the tour HERE

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Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, paranormal, romance, urban fantasy

No Lack of Imagination

I have an extremely vivid imagination. I don’t know if that’s why I’m a writer, or if I’m a writer because of it. Or maybe I just happen to be a writer who also has a vivid imagination. By ‘imagination’ I don’t necessarily mean that I’m adept at making things up or creating things, though I hope I’m also good at those things as well, otherwise I’m not much of a writer. In this case when I speak of imagination, I mean the ability to visualize.

[image error]I’ve always been able to clearly picture things, even without my eyes closed. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like a movie playing in my head. I’m not seeing it with my eyes of course, but I am ‘seeing’ it. I suppose some people call this daydreaming. For me it’s quite intense though, down to the fact I can see details and backgrounds. Even if someone is telling me a story about something that happened to them, my mind instantly starts constructing the entire scene, filling in the blanks with things like what color the walls are or whether it was daytime or nighttime outside the window. It can be a lot of fun, and it’s not particularly distracting, because it’s just how my mind works.

Of course, this is helpful when it comes to writing. I can ‘watch’ the story in my head as I write it, and heck, sometimes I feel like I’m munching on popcorn, eager to find out what happens next (even I don’t know). I can’t say if writing honed this ability or it was the other way around, but I’m glad I have it. I remember being surprised to learn not everyone thinks visually like this. Honestly, for a good portion of my life I just thought it was how human brains worked.

However, there are pros and cons to having this sort of vivid imagination.

The pros:

Telling stories is easier when I can ‘see’ them. It helps me convey details and figure out what I need to describe to the reader. I can also visualize the things I never tell the reader because they wouldn’t fit in the story. That somehow makes the story more whole for me.
Making up the physical appearance of characters is easy, but I also spend a lot of time adjusting them in my head to get them just right.
For some reason this makes my memory very sharp as well, because when I’m recalling something I bring the ‘picture’ of it up in my head and I can see the details.

The cons:

I’m nowhere near as good with words as I am with visions. That means I can see the most perfect things in my head but I sure as heck can’t describe them exactly the way I see them, sometimes not fully, and sometimes not efficiently at all. It’s the image-to-word equivalent of telling someone about a beautiful person you saw at the grocery store the other day and then drawing a stick figure to illustrate.
 Things have to make sense. Part of storytelling, whether it’s written or visual, is that the reader/viewer is willing to suspend some disbelief. That’s why it’s storytelling and not reality. However, being able to see things in my head, if something isn’t right–the dimensions of a room don’t work, someone is positioned in a way a human body couldn’t manage, two things don’t fit together–I find myself rewriting everything to fix it because it bothers me.
The absolute worst con is that I have a vivid imagination for ALL things. So if someone talks about or I read about something gross or disturbing, the detailed image of it INSTANTLY pops into my head and it’s incredibly jarring. I’ve actually had people in my life tease me with this and it’s annoying. I guess if I have the good parts of this ability I have to accept the bad parts of it too, though.

I know a lot of writers have vivid imaginations, so maybe it comes with the territory. Can you visualize things easily? Does it come with drawbacks? I feel there’s probably a lot of other types of artists who have this skill as well. Tell me about your imagination!

Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: creativity, me, personal life, writing

Slow It Down

[image error]This post is part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop. The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass!

I can’t believe it’s November already! Halloween has passed us by and now Thanksgiving and Christmas approach. I swear it was just summer the other day. I once read there’s an actual psychological reason that time passes faster as we get older: experiencing new things tends to make our perception of time ‘slow down’ as our brain needs to concentrate and gather new information. As children, everything was new and the world moved slowly (remember the agony of waiting for your birthday or Christmas?). As we age our lives become more and more routine and our brain is basically on autopilot and not paying attention to the passage of time. So clearly, the way to slow down time is to have new experiences!

In that vein, my insecurity this month is that I wish I could have some new writing experiences. I have a few projects going but I feel sort of sluggish and bored with them. With writing in general, really. I’m probably just going through a fallow period but it all seems kind of dull and meaningless and I find myself scowling at the page. I need some fresh material to get my brain paying attention again!

But then I also ask myself: is it wise to start something new when I need to finish all this other stuff first? Ugh!

BLEH TO WRITING.

November 1st Question: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

I’ve only done NaNoWriMo once, and Camp NaNoWriMo once, and I used both as tools to complete projects that I was already contracted for through publishers. I think NaNoWriMo is a great event for people who want a kick in the pants to get some writing done, or want to increase their productivity as writers and develop good writing habits. I think it helps bring writers together in community and fun. However, for the most part I personally write just as much any other month so I don’t get a whole lot of additional benefits from it. I wish everyone doing it the best and I hope you have loads of fun!

Filed under: IWSG Tagged: blog hop, creativity, insecure writer's support group, me, writing

Happy Halloween!

Today is my favorite holiday. Time for all things creepy and scary and ghoulish! It’s also time for trick-or-treat and costumes and jack o’lanterns and all those fun things. If you want a good scare today and you missed it yesterday, be sure to check out my WRITER FRIGHTS! post.

Have a spoooooooky day!

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Filed under: Holidays

Halloween Terror FOR WRITERS

Halloween is tomorrow and spooky things are lurking around the corner. Just when you thought it was safe to sit down at your laptop, just when you started to believe the plot was finally coming together, just as the dialog starts to flow, you look up from the screen and there they are…

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STEP INSIDE AND WITNESS THE SPINE-TINGLING MADNESS OF:
WRITER’S BLOCK

Legend has it that on Halloween night, the emaciated, ghastly specter of a book critic rises from the grave and haunts writers by making it so they don’t know where to go next with their story and can’t get any words on the page. The book critic floats around your desk chanting “Oooooh! Weak plot, boring characters, two out of five staaaaaars!” thus stealing all your confidence and enthusiasm.

DRY SPELLS

Unlike the Sinister Book Critic of Writer’s Block, the Evil Zombie of Dry Spells hunches over you and chews on your brain. You thought you had this writer thing down, you have the power to write tons and tons of books, you are productive! Then the zombie creeps up on you and snacks on the creative part of your brain, and you can’t even come up with so much as a shopping list. Beware!

“IT JUST DOESN’T WORK”

Deep in the woods, in the dead of night, walks the chilling figure known as Bloody Mary the Aggravating Editor. She tears apart your manuscript, tells you that your favorite character is awful and should be cut, and points out that you can’t spell. Just when you think all is safe, she comes up behind you and whispers in your ear “Maybe you should scrap this project and work on something else.”

FLAT CHARACTERS

From the depths of Hell rises Glinda the Goodreads Ghoul. She will rip apart your book and tell you in glowing, bullet-pointed detail how much all your characters suck and just weren’t fleshed out enough. All her minions will gather around cackling and agreeing with her. You will wake up in a cold sweat, glad it was just a dream…or WAS it?

BAD STORYTELLING

Beneath the cold light of the full moon, a werewolf with fangs as sharp as razor blades and foul intentions in his twisted brain lurks in the shadows. He scratches at your back door, and when you open it, he rips your heart out: “You’re an unoriginal hack and you couldn’t tell a story to save your life. You should do the world a favor and never write again.” You fall to the floor, screaming in agony.

REJECTION

You finished your book! You revised and polished it until it shines. You wrote a kickass query letter. You found some agents and editors who like the kind of stuff you write. You send off your manuscript, and wait, and try to be patient, with hope in your heart, and then Halloween night comes…

The Vampires of the Publishing Houses rise from their graves. They loom over you with bloody fangs and glinting eyes. Their laughter is cruel and mocking as a fiery pit opens beneath you. As they kick you in, they utter that chilling phrase:

“Unfortunately, this doesn’t suit our needs at this time.”

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Filed under: Holidays Tagged: books, funny, publishers, writing

Come join the party!

Today is day two of Evernight Publishing’s 7th birthday celebration Facebook party! All day long authors will be chatting with readers, having fun and playing games, and giving away prizes, prizes, prizes! I’ll be participating this evening and giving away an Amazon gift card, an Evernight gift certificate, and some books, so stop on by!

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Today’s line up (all times are EST):

9:00 – 9:30 AM Lea Bronsen

9:30 – 10:00 AM Katherine Wyvern

10:30 – 11:00 AM Jessie Pinkham

11:00 – 11:30 AM Allyson Young

11:30 – 12:00 PM Peri Elizabeth Scott author

12:00 – 12:30 PM Aletta Thorne

2:00 – 2:30 PM Tanya Jean Russell

2:30 – 3:00 PM Katerina Ross

5:00 – 5:30 PM Elyzabeth M. VaLey

5:30 – 6:00 PM C. E. Vescio / Cara Vescio

6:30 – 7:00 PM Lorraine Nelson

****7:30 – 8:00 PM Megan Morgan****

8:00 – 8:30 PM Magali Fréchette

8:30 – 9:00 PM Jean Maxwell

9:00 – 9:30 PM Libby Bishop

10:30 – 11:00 PM April Zyon Author

Hope to see you there!
Filed under: Giveaways Tagged: appearances, evernight publishing, facebook, publishers

For the Love of Writing

Back when I started this whole writing thing in my teens, I just couldn’t wait to be rich and famous. I knew someday I’d be an international bestseller, penning books from the deck of my luxury yacht or my special writing room in my mansion with a glorious cliffside view of the ocean. Everyone would know my name! Celebrities would want to hang out with me! All I had to do was write a book so beloved by millions that they would literally mail me their paychecks, begging me to write the sequel.

Well, here I am about twenty-five years later, and…I have my own place, anyway? I also have Netflix and a cat, so I guess that’s pretty good overall, right? Granted, my day job pays for all those things, but hey, with my last royalty check I bought some groceries! I mean, not like a whole WEEK’S worth of groceries, let’s not get crazy here, but I picked up some pretty tasty ice cream.

[image error]You probably know by now that most writers are not, and never will be, magnificently rich and famous. Even making enough to sustain a living is far-fetched. Making decent money off writing depends on a lot of different factors, including your productivity levels–how many books you can produce, because it’s your backlist that makes you money–trends, your publisher, your readership, publicity, luck, and just a smidge of black magic. To have a bestseller you probably need all that but a more advanced level of black magic, but I couldn’t tell you.

So why are we still doing this? If not for money, fame, recognition, or even the light bill, why do it?

For the love of the writing itself, of course.

If you’re feeling like you’ll never make it, and you’re just more than a tad frustrated, and you’re thinking about throwing in the towel, maybe I can give you some inspiration to keep going. Here are the reasons–the real, attainable reasons–that I write.

Because I like telling stories. I don’t know if I was born with this urge or it came from something in my life, but I just like telling a story. I like putting together the elements that make up a story. I like snapping together all the pieces and making something whole. There’s a real satisfaction and delight in it. It’s like making something that’s broken work again, or organizing everything just so. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and victory.
Because I’m good at telling stories. I’ve been doing this for a long time and so now I’m very good–or at least skilled–at putting all the technical aspects of writing into motion. I know how to construct a plot and characters, I know how to work toward a conclusion, build theme, and shape tone. I like playing with language, and I like using imagery and subtext to create a message. I like the arty side of writing, but I also like the technical side of it. I learn more and more as I continue, and it’s always fascinating.
Because some of the stories I want to read haven’t been written. Some stories just don’t exist, but I would like them to, and when I realize I have the power to make that happen, it’s both thrilling and humbling at the same time. Just think about it. If I want a story in the world, I can create it! Me! I can do that! That’s amazing.
Because when I write, my head shuts up. Only when I’m writing does the rest of the world fade away. Everything else on my mind gets shoved aside for a time and I feel calm. Writing helps me focus. Writing helps me forget. Writing gives me a chance to breathe and it’s incredibly cathartic. All the noise quiets down when I get to the page.
Because storytelling is important. From books to TV shows to movies, to comic books, to plays, to songs–the world wants and needs stories. We need an escape, we need something to distract us, to make us feel, laugh, cry, smile, remember, and dance. The world is often harsh and bleak and terrifying, but having stories helps us cope with all that. And though I may not be famous, and I might never be, if only a few people read my stories, at least I’m still doing my part to help humans get some enjoyment out of life. If I can’t fix things, I can at least help soothe.

What are your reasons for writing? Your real reasons? At the end of the day, what is it that keeps you coming back, even when you get very little out of it?

Filed under: About Me Tagged: creativity, inspiration, me, wellness, writing

Instagram Loop Giveaway starts now!

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The Evernight Instagram Loop Giveaway starts today. You can start here at my Instagram to enter to win a ton of fantastic prizes and get to know some awesome authors and their works!

Celebrate Evernight Publishing’s 7 years of publishing with us! We’re kicking off the party with a loop giveaway. Each author in the loop will have a prize to give away and Evernight is offering a few GRAND PRIZES, including gift certificates and prize packs. If you complete the loop, you’ll have the chance to win at least 35 different prizes.

I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card!

Here are the rules for this loop giveaway

 – Follow all of the accounts in the loop.

– Comment with a friend’s name that should enter to win too (the more the merrier!).

– Tap the photo to see where to go next.

– Remember you must follow ALL Instagram accounts in order for your entry to be valid.

– Once you get back to where you started, you’ve completed the loop!

Winners will be announced on October 30th.

START HERE!

Hope to see you around!

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Filed under: Giveaways Tagged: appearances, evernight publishing, instagram, publishers

The Soul Guide Series by Kelly Stock

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Meet Kelly Stock!

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always wanted to write. I actually completed a Creative Writing / English literature degree back in 2002, but didn’t put any of it to good use until 2015 when I began to write The Soul Guide. Family life and kids happened. It was only once my youngest started full-time school that I suddenly had precious time on my hands for two days in the week when I wasn’t working. It was then a character appeared in my head (Bertram) and the story grew from him. Bertram is based on my father who was a caretaker of a secondary school for 25 years before he retired. I was always fascinated by the bunch of keys he had and the doors those keys could open. Those thoughts soon turned into magic keys and doorways that could lead to fantastical places and the story sprung from there. Not only that, my obsession with bees and their symbolism in certain cultures got me thinking about all things spiritual and souls… and the story just grew into what it has become today.

Interestingly, I am not a religious person, but I do believe that people have souls and I wanted to explore that further. The Soul Guide series is ultimately an urban fantasy, but I’ve drawn from some myths (the Three Sisters are loosely based on the Greek thriae bee goddesses) and cultural beliefs and thrown them together to make, what I hope, is an interesting story.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I will be plotting and writing Save Our Souls – the third book in The Soul Guide series with the aim to get it released sometime in 2018. This will be the final book of the series, although I think there may be a fourth book, a novella called Soul Survivors that I will pen to round the series up, but it’s early days yet.

I also write under a pen name – Bea Paige (there’s another bee reference) and am currently working on a new fifteen book series called Sisters of Hex. These will be paranormal romance books with specific concentration on a growing genre of reverse harem. One female, multiple male lovers. However, I didn’t want it just to concentrate on the saucy side, I do want there to be a well thought out story and world building. So this series will move between Ever Vale a parallel world, and Earth. There will be wolf-shifters, vampires, demi-gods, fae and angels. There is a prophecy to be fulfilled and a curse to be broken. There will be an evil Queen, witches, forbidden forests mystery and magic. I hope this series will appeal to a range of readers. The first book of the series, Accacia’s Curse will release on the 27th November and I am super excited about it.

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was born in London, UK in 1978 (I’m forty next year gah!!) I grew up in Barnes, South West London in an amazing neighborhood. I have fond memories of spending all day in the local park with my friends only coming in for tea when my dad whistled over the fence. We were lucky as our back garden backed onto a park / play area. There was so much freedom growing up in the 80’s. I miss those days.

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

It has to be with my closest friends and family, preferably on some remote island somewhere hot. I would have a big party and spend my last hours dancing and laughing with the ones I loved.

 

Secrets and Souls
Prequel to The Soul Guide
by Kelly Stock
Genre: Urban Fantasy



Set forty years before The Soul Guide, this is a story of Bertram and

Mellissa…



“You think I don’t know that you’re keeping secrets from me? I am not

the only liar here…”

The last thing Bertram expected after his grandfather’s death was to

find himself the owner of Clayhill Manor, a decrepit mansion with

little going for it other than musty rooms filled with moth-eaten

furniture and mice. But at least he gets to maintain the solitary

life he’s used to. That is, until red-headed beauty, Mellissa,

walks into his home and changes his life forever.

With one touch of her hand, Bertram finds himself part of world he never

knew existed. Where he is the Caretaker, and Mellissa the Soul Guide.

Where doors appear out of nowhere and he’s the only one who can see

them.

Together they must face a strange new world hidden just beneath the surface. A

world which contains the pure of soul and malevolent creatures that

lurk in the dark.

But Mellissa holds secrets within her, secrets that hurt her heart. With

a past that she’s unwilling to share with a man who is falling in

love with her, can they put their feelings aside and fulfil their

roles or will her secrets tear them apart?

Apart they are weak, together they are stronger, and the Mephisto are

always watching.

**FREE on Amazon!**


Goodreads * Amazon



The Soul Guide
The Soul Guide Series Book 1



When university student Sybil is stung by a bee in the middle of a winter

snowstorm, she finds herself chosen as the latest Soul Guide. With

only a few days to reach the Veil; the place of souls, and complete

the Passing Over ceremony, she begins to question everything she ever

believed to be true. But dark forces will stop at nothing to prevent

Sybil from fulfilling her destiny. Struggling with such a huge

responsibility, and afraid for her life, Sybil has no choice but to

put her trust in two complete strangers.



Meet Bertram, the Caretaker. Despite his anguish at losing the love of his

life, he has a job to do. Sybil is his responsibility now. He must

guide her to the Veil – no matter the cost.

Then there’s Alec, who’s drawn to Sybil the moment he lays eyes on

her. Overcome by the sudden need to protect her, Alec will risk his

life to ensure her safety. Or does he have darker designs…?

Can the reluctant Soul Guide, the grieving Caretaker, and the obsessive

stranger work together? Only one thing is certain: the future of both

Earth and the Veil hang in the balance, and the dark are

rising.


Goodreads * Amazon
Reviews:
“I’ve just finished the soul guide and I’m feeling very impatient for book

2! This is a great fantasy read, intriguing, with characters you

really want to know more about! It’s hard to believe this is the

author’s first novel, there’s so much detail and depth to the

characters and story. Well worth a read.”

 

“Wow! I could not put this book down. The way Kelly writes encaptures you

and takes you to another place. Her vivid imagination and the way she

describes every detail enables you to picture in your mind being

there with Sybil on this spiritual journey. It only took me two days

to read and I can’t wait for the next instalment to see what happens

next.”

“This book, well written and with a great story line, had me hooked from

the start and I can’t wait for the next one in the series.”

“The Soul Guide is a unique, fast-paced, beautifully-written book.

Immediately it sucked me in, and it was hard to put down. Kelly Stock

has woven together a story with interesting characters and a truly

imaginative plot. In a way, reading this felt like gazing upon

beautiful artwork. Every chapter revealed a new layer of the story,

intriguing me further and making me even more curious about what was

to come. What a treat this book was to read!”



Tortured Souls

The Soul Guide Series Book 2
Releases October 21st!


Still reeling from the secrets revealed within the Veil, Sybil finds

herself getting more than she’d ever bargained for. Having to manage

her new gifts is hard enough let alone having to cope with the

barrage of memories that aren’t even her own.

Could becoming the Soul Guide be the biggest mistake of Sybil’s life or her

bravest decision yet? She couldn’t tell you, to busy dealing with the

responsibility that her new role brings and avoiding the growing

residents of Clayhill to find out.

And yet, hiding away isn’t an option.

With the arrival of terrified young Estelle, Sybil is forced to face

reality and become the warrior she was destined to be. There are far

worst things happening beyond the safety of Clayhill and she doesn’t

have the option of turning a blind eye, especially when the ‘worst

things’ involve her own beloved dad.

With Estelle’s revelations, action must be taken. Can the unlikely group

work together to save the children locked away in the depths of the

Masters home or will the Mephisto succeed in tearing them apart? Read

book two of The Soul Guide series to find out.

In Tortured Souls, alliances are made, friendships are forged, hearts

are broken and the battle of light versus dark has truly begun.

Goodreads * Amazon
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Secrets & Souls – prequel novella to The Soul Guide

“See that there,” she said pointing to the cluster of stars that looked like nothing more than a misty cloud to the uninformed. “That is Praesepe, the Beehive Cluster of stars. Some say it is the gateway where souls entered Earth from Heaven.”

“And is it?” Bertram asked, his breath warm on her neck. She hadn’t realised he had got so close. She shifted sideways, giving herself some space.

She felt his disappointment before she saw it.

“Well, I guess that depends on what you believe. Is there a heaven? I’m not sure I know the answer to that, even now. What I do know is that there is more to this world than what I understood before. There is magic, and mystery, and there are souls. Souls that I am responsible for, Bertram. My duty is to take care of them now.” Mellissa felt her hands shake at the confession. Up until a few months ago, everything had been so different. No matter how much it killed her to say it, her life had taken a path she couldn’t run away from, despite all that she’d left behind and how much her heart was breaking.

The Soul Guide

“Are you alright?” Alec asked, concerned.

“I can’t breathe,” she choked out, grabbing Alec’s arms as her legs suddenly lost the ability to hold her upright. Alec caught her as her body began to shake uncontrollably.

“Christ, hold on,” he said and pulled out his mobile phone dialling for an ambulance, only to find no signal. “This bloody weather,” Alec cursed, shoving his mobile phone back into his jacket pocket. “We need to get you to a hospital, Sybil. I think you’re allergic. I’m going to take you back to Carlo’s, ok? I’ll call for an ambulance there.”

Sybil could see that Alec was talking to her but she couldn’t respond. She was finding it difficult to breathe and had started to draw in short, sucking, breaths. The surrounding snow blurred into a white mist as Alec’s face went in and out of focus. Sybil felt Alec lift her off her feet, the movement causing her head to jolt against his shoulder. The tightness in her chest felt like two, huge hands squeezing the life out of her. A light film of sweat was covering her, but she was on fire as if flames were rippling over her skin. Even the falling snow did nothing to cool her. Within moments, she could hear raised voices, but the words were muffled and distant like they were talking in another room. Sybil tried to open her eyes but found that they were swollen shut. She felt herself being lowered down onto something soft.

Then darkness took over.

Back outside on the street her bag of books was rapidly being covered by the falling snow. Not far from where they lay a thin, dishevelled looking man, stepped out of the shadows sniffing at the air. He blinked twice and his eyes were replaced by black, hollow orbs devoid of any life.

Tortured Souls

Estelle was clean, dry and dressed in a plain, floor-length gown. The room they stood in was richly decorated with twin chandeliers, a soft red carpet and dark red, velvet seats. Despite the warmth of the room, Estelle could still feel the ice-cold of the shower she and the others had had to endure. Every drop of water had been like a razor blade cutting into her skin. Yet, despite the pain, she would do anything to be back under the water once again. She wanted, no, needed, to blot out the images that were now making her scream endlessly inside her own head. No more, no more, no more. But, like a puppet, she was forced to watch them suffer, knowing she was going to be next. Tears slipped down her cheeks as the other boys and girls’ terrified faces flashed before her eyes. Most of them cried, some had pissed themselves and the acrid smell of their fear filled the room like a suffocating shroud. The rest held an emptiness in their eyes and she knew they had already given up, retreated within their minds to try to spare themselves from the horror of what was coming. But it mattered not, because one by one, death had come for them all.

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Born and bred in London, UK, Kelly is a 38 year-old multitasking mum,

wife, colleague, friend, daughter, sister and lastly, but by no means

least, writer.

Her love of writing started when she began her Creative Writing degree at North

London University in 1999. She hasn’t always wanted to be a writer,

her first job of choice was a Vet, but that dream died when she

realized she was allergic to most, small, furry animals. But, she has

always loved to read, and that’s where her passion for writing

began.

After finishing her degree in 2002, she didn’t put pen to paper, or fingers to

keyboard, until thirteen years later. Life, in all its wonderful

glory got in the way. Then when her youngest went to school full-time

she had precious time on her hands. It was during this time that

Bertram, Sybil, and Alec were conceived and her first novel, The Soul

Guide was born.

In her spare time you can find Kelly, reading, bringing up her kids the best way she knows

how, and trying desperately not to make a fool of herself on social

media.


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