Take a step... Within the Shadows
To all who are reading this,
Today, I'm so excited to share with you an excerpt of a novel that I immensely enjoyed (with permission from the author of course). So much so in fact, that if you scroll further down you can even catch my review of it!
The book in question is Within the Shadows, the first book in the Shadow World series. The books are written by Julieanne Lynch, and are already getting fans excited. You'll learn why, if you continue reading!
Living on the razors edge, Giselle Bergman's life is torn apart by her cheating boyfriend. Little does she realize that he is the least of her worries when her long term friend, Alex, reveals a secret long hidden, and introduces to his family and a new, darker world; a world of lies, deceit and corruption.
Thrown from one problem straight into another, the razors edge gets thinner and sharper, testing Giselle's sanity and vitality. Never truly knowing who her allies are, Giselle soon learns not to trust anyone, not even herself.
How far will Giselle run to escape what fate has dealt her?
Will she truly be free from the shadows that not only want her soul, but have her reborn as their Queen?
Join Giselle on a journey that is only beginning... Not even she can hide when living within the shadows.
“Yes, Alexander survived, but that was because of the great lengths his father took to protect him. And there was the odd occasion that his life was put in jeopardy.”
“Oh, okay. I suppose you are trying your best here, but could you at least elaborate a little more?” I was becoming irritated with the short answers. I wanted more. I needed more.
“Well, hasn’t it become quite obvious we aren’t the monsters folklore portrays us to be?”
“What do you mean?”
“Consider how I could have ripped your throat out, and drank you dry. Instead, I sit here, and amuse you with my answers. There is a war, and you play a vital role. You should have realised by now that you are a very important commodity among vampires. You possess what others seek, and it is you who will strengthen the bloodline. We will evolve because of you.”
“Yeah, so Alex keeps telling me, but I can’t help but to wonder as to how this whole mess started. Why are all of you so afraid of the Nelapsi, or whatever they’re called?”
He pondered this before he spoke, looking at me intently, as though he was about to reveal some deadly secret, and then he began his story.
“I was born more than two centuries ago in a small village in the Zemplin region of eastern Slovakia. I am what you would call a classical vampire. I am not dead or undead. I just exist. I am what I am. But, of course, my kin, the Nelapsi, are viscous, bloodthirsty monsters that stop at nothing in order to feed.
“They care not for their donors. In fact, in most cases, they consume blood with or without permission. It was the winter of 1790, and times were harsh. Humans were dying from starvation, and, as you can imagine, when you rely solely on the blood of a human, it becomes a risk to you when they are dying.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t stop many of my brothers. Instead of trying to help them, many turned on the young and defenceless, feeding and consuming their short innocent lives. I couldn’t live with that guilt, and hated seeing the bloodshed. That is when I found Leonid, who helped me and many of my brothers to change what once was an acceptable way of life. We found a new way of co-existing with humans.”
“But I thought Leonid was a descendent of the Nelapsi?” I asked, confused.
“Ah, you are right. His Majesty is a descendent through birth. He, like Alexander, is an inheritor. Meaning, they were born into their lifestyle like me, but they are not immortal. They can live for a long time, but death does come eventually.”
“So, if I wanted to, I could kill them. I mean, hurt them?” I inquired.
He laughed menacingly. “I doubt you would survive long enough to cause them any kind of wound.”
I didn’t have the balls to answer him back, so we sat in silence. Being reminded of how he could kill me sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way.
Like a hungry wild animal, I devoured this book within a few days - generally over lunch breaks at work, and curled up with my cat. And I was not disappointed with what was inside the gorgeous cover.
The tale follows Giselle as her teenage existence starts to fall apart when boyfriend Marc makes a mistake. Running from the anger and pain, Giselle ends up down the proverbial rabbit hole, and finds herself in a world of beautiful and deadly mythological creatures. Commonly known to the world at large as vampires. And from that point onwards, Giselle's world is upside down.
A refreshing and unexpected take on the vampire novel, it is well written, fast paced, action packed and heart wrenching! Love, loss, life - three key things that play the essential part of Giselle's world. She is to a certain degree a typical young woman, but all that is sure to change. Ms Lynch kept me hooked throughout and she certainly knows how to throw a curve ball or two!
Other characters that support Giselle's world are well crafted and clever, with human elements that shine through. Perfect for YA (Young Adult) or NA (New Adult) readers! I have already bought the second book, and I cannot wait to start it!
If you want to grab your own copy please visit:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/VULiwf
Nook: http://bit.ly/1tv0q1K
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1octOlk
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1pi8COM
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1rw1xeh
You know what's even more exciting? This book is already in development for a film, with director Mark Roemmich leading the way! More information on the film can be found www.nhepictures.com or www.theshadowworldmovies.com
Whilst there is no cast list up as of yet, If List are running a chance for you to vote on your dream cast - right here at http://www.iflist.com/stories/withintheshadows# It's a fun and simple way to support the film! This is the sort of thing that writers like myself and Ms Lynch sort of do when we are creating our characters. Seeing this vision coming to life must be a startling and awe inspiring thing! I've already made my choices. Who will you choose?
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
---
Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade by Oliver Bowden
Today, I'm so excited to share with you an excerpt of a novel that I immensely enjoyed (with permission from the author of course). So much so in fact, that if you scroll further down you can even catch my review of it!
The book in question is Within the Shadows, the first book in the Shadow World series. The books are written by Julieanne Lynch, and are already getting fans excited. You'll learn why, if you continue reading!
Living on the razors edge, Giselle Bergman's life is torn apart by her cheating boyfriend. Little does she realize that he is the least of her worries when her long term friend, Alex, reveals a secret long hidden, and introduces to his family and a new, darker world; a world of lies, deceit and corruption.
Thrown from one problem straight into another, the razors edge gets thinner and sharper, testing Giselle's sanity and vitality. Never truly knowing who her allies are, Giselle soon learns not to trust anyone, not even herself.
How far will Giselle run to escape what fate has dealt her?
Will she truly be free from the shadows that not only want her soul, but have her reborn as their Queen?
Join Giselle on a journey that is only beginning... Not even she can hide when living within the shadows.
“Yes, Alexander survived, but that was because of the great lengths his father took to protect him. And there was the odd occasion that his life was put in jeopardy.”
“Oh, okay. I suppose you are trying your best here, but could you at least elaborate a little more?” I was becoming irritated with the short answers. I wanted more. I needed more.
“Well, hasn’t it become quite obvious we aren’t the monsters folklore portrays us to be?”
“What do you mean?”
“Consider how I could have ripped your throat out, and drank you dry. Instead, I sit here, and amuse you with my answers. There is a war, and you play a vital role. You should have realised by now that you are a very important commodity among vampires. You possess what others seek, and it is you who will strengthen the bloodline. We will evolve because of you.”
“Yeah, so Alex keeps telling me, but I can’t help but to wonder as to how this whole mess started. Why are all of you so afraid of the Nelapsi, or whatever they’re called?”
He pondered this before he spoke, looking at me intently, as though he was about to reveal some deadly secret, and then he began his story.
“I was born more than two centuries ago in a small village in the Zemplin region of eastern Slovakia. I am what you would call a classical vampire. I am not dead or undead. I just exist. I am what I am. But, of course, my kin, the Nelapsi, are viscous, bloodthirsty monsters that stop at nothing in order to feed.
“They care not for their donors. In fact, in most cases, they consume blood with or without permission. It was the winter of 1790, and times were harsh. Humans were dying from starvation, and, as you can imagine, when you rely solely on the blood of a human, it becomes a risk to you when they are dying.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t stop many of my brothers. Instead of trying to help them, many turned on the young and defenceless, feeding and consuming their short innocent lives. I couldn’t live with that guilt, and hated seeing the bloodshed. That is when I found Leonid, who helped me and many of my brothers to change what once was an acceptable way of life. We found a new way of co-existing with humans.”
“But I thought Leonid was a descendent of the Nelapsi?” I asked, confused.
“Ah, you are right. His Majesty is a descendent through birth. He, like Alexander, is an inheritor. Meaning, they were born into their lifestyle like me, but they are not immortal. They can live for a long time, but death does come eventually.”
“So, if I wanted to, I could kill them. I mean, hurt them?” I inquired.
He laughed menacingly. “I doubt you would survive long enough to cause them any kind of wound.”
I didn’t have the balls to answer him back, so we sat in silence. Being reminded of how he could kill me sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way.
Like a hungry wild animal, I devoured this book within a few days - generally over lunch breaks at work, and curled up with my cat. And I was not disappointed with what was inside the gorgeous cover.
The tale follows Giselle as her teenage existence starts to fall apart when boyfriend Marc makes a mistake. Running from the anger and pain, Giselle ends up down the proverbial rabbit hole, and finds herself in a world of beautiful and deadly mythological creatures. Commonly known to the world at large as vampires. And from that point onwards, Giselle's world is upside down.
A refreshing and unexpected take on the vampire novel, it is well written, fast paced, action packed and heart wrenching! Love, loss, life - three key things that play the essential part of Giselle's world. She is to a certain degree a typical young woman, but all that is sure to change. Ms Lynch kept me hooked throughout and she certainly knows how to throw a curve ball or two!
Other characters that support Giselle's world are well crafted and clever, with human elements that shine through. Perfect for YA (Young Adult) or NA (New Adult) readers! I have already bought the second book, and I cannot wait to start it!
If you want to grab your own copy please visit:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/VULiwf
Nook: http://bit.ly/1tv0q1K
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1octOlk
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1pi8COM
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1rw1xeh
You know what's even more exciting? This book is already in development for a film, with director Mark Roemmich leading the way! More information on the film can be found www.nhepictures.com or www.theshadowworldmovies.com
Whilst there is no cast list up as of yet, If List are running a chance for you to vote on your dream cast - right here at http://www.iflist.com/stories/withintheshadows# It's a fun and simple way to support the film! This is the sort of thing that writers like myself and Ms Lynch sort of do when we are creating our characters. Seeing this vision coming to life must be a startling and awe inspiring thing! I've already made my choices. Who will you choose?
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
---
Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade by Oliver Bowden
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