Last weekend I attended the Chanticleer Authors Conference. I enjoy this conference because it’s a mix of authors from a wide range of genres including, mystery, thriller, horror, children’s books, non-fiction, young adult, and international attendees. It’s always interesting to listen to an author who writes in a different genre. The highlight of this conference is the Saturday awards banquet. There are thousands of books entered into the writing contest and includes international entries.
I was thrilled when Willow’s Discovery, The Winters Sisters, Book Three, made the short-list in Paranormal and extremely honored on Saturday to be awarded First in Category for Paranormal. Thank you, Chanticleer Book Reviews for your recognition of Willow’s Discovery.
EXCERPT:
As she reached her office door, another bolt of lightning screamed through the atmosphere at the same instant a startling, explosive boom of thunder rattled the building. The lights around her popped out and plunged Willow into total blackness.
“Great. I guess this wasn’t my best plan.” She reached out for the wall and followed it slowly back to the door. The rain fell in sheets and blocked out all possibility of moon- or starlight. She bumped the door with the tip of her boot and felt for the lock and handle. “I should’ve at least thought to bring a flashlight,” she said, scolding herself. She stumbled down the steps, nearly falling on her face a time or two. She must be within inches of the cart. The cart was here; it had to be. This is where she left it. She shuffled in one direction and then turned and traveled back in the opposite direction. She left the cart here, right here.
Murky, dark energy overwhelmed her senses, except the energy didn’t feel natural, it felt—synthetic; at this precise moment she realized…she was not alone. “Oh my god – Wyatt!”
* * * *
“I’m awake,” Wyatt said, and popped up as he came fully alert. He’d fallen asleep on the cot in the break room. He meant to go home right after the meeting; instead, he downed a couple of aspirin for the blasted headache that continued to linger the entire day and decided to rest his eyes for a minute or two. Blackness filled his vision, and he rubbed his eyes to make sure they were indeed open. He closed his eyes, focused, felt the change, and opened them once again, his surroundings as clear as midday. Still, he must’ve dreamt, because he could swear he heard Willow.
“Wyatt!”
“What the hell?” Not possible. He actually heard Willow’s voice. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and squinted at the glowing screen, the light much too bright for his night vision. He thought maybe his phone had connected to Willow’s and he heard her on speaker. But the screen was blank. Panic slithered down his neck and made him twitch. He punched the speed-dial button.
Willow took off at a full run. In the pitch black it was nearly impossible to stay upright. She managed to widen the gap between herself and the hideous energy. Her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket. She debated answering, but she didn’t want the person who pursued her to see the light; the glow would shine like a beam. She stumbled, fell, and rolled down a small hill. Once she regained her bearings, she knew where she was and crawled sideways until she came in contact with the first sword fern. She crawled into the ferns as the phone vibrated again. She reached into her pocket and fought to free it from her drenched jeans.
“Wyatt?” she barely whispered into the receiver.
“Hi Willow. I know it’s late and I’m sorry, but—”
“Please help me! Someone is chasing me! I can’t see them but I know it’s someone menacing and…”
“I’m on my way. Where are you?” he asked as he jumped into his boots and threw on a camo rain slicker.
“I ran out the front door of my building. I thought I headed toward the security shack; somehow I got turned around. I’m in the large grouping of sword ferns—”
“I know where you are. Stay down, stay quiet, and don’t move. I’m coming in hot—it means I’ll have my gun drawn—so stay put.”
Until next month.
Joanne
