Destiny
Absent
Shadows Trilogy
Book
One
S
M Spencer
Genre:
Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date
of Publication: October 2014
ASIN:
B00O6WL9IA
Number
of pages: 208
Word
Count: 75,000
Cover
Artist: BookPOD
Book
Description:
Destiny:
‘The predetermined or inevitable path a person must follow.’
When
nineteen year-old Lili McIntyre decides to trade her California
summer for a mid-winter visit to Australia, it’s in hope of finding
inspiration and direction in the country where her father was born.
But
when she arrives in Melbourne, the first thing she finds is the last
thing she’s looking for—a brooding man who makes her heart race
every time she sees him.
Against
her better judgement, Lili finds herself drawn into a relationship
that tests her very beliefs about life, reality and fantasy. But the
real test is how to follow her destiny as she faces some of the
hardest decisions of her life.
Using
a modern theme, the author tells an old fashioned love story that you
won’t want to put down, even when you’ve finished the last page.
S
M Spencer, author Destiny, Absent Shadows Trilogy Book One
Author interview;
I grew up in the San
Francisco Bay Area, but have now lived in Melbourne, Australia longer
than I live in California.
Tell
us your latest news?
The first book in my
series was awarded an indieBRAG Medallion last month and I must admit
I was over-the-moon to receive the news.
When
and why did you begin writing?
When I was young, I read a
lot—everything from fantasy and light romance, to mystery and
science fiction. And I often found myself living the stories long
after I’d finished the books. I had so much
respect for this ability—to
create a story that had such a lasting effect on
me—that I wanted to do the same thing.
I wanted to be a writer.
It’s taken me a lot of
years to be in a position to dedicate my time to writing, but now
that I’m here, I love every minute of it!
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably when I finished
the first draft of Destiny.
What
inspired you to write your first book?
I was working around the
corner from Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Markets, up near the
Flagstaff Gardens. Walking around at lunchtime, I started sensing
that I was smack dab in the middle of the perfect setting for ghosts
and vampires—and the story just developed from there. Of course,
the late night ghost tours I’d done in the area, where I’d
learned the history of the cemetery under the market’s carpark and
about ghost sightings all throughout the area, really helped. And
like many, I was caught up in the resurgence in popularity of
vampires.
Do
you have a specific writing style?
I try to write in a fast
paced, conversational style.
How
did you come up with the title?
It just came to me …
it’s what I do
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Follow your heart, and
trust your intuition.
How
much of the book is realistic?
Well, that depends on
whether the reader believes in vampires. Could be 100%, or it could
be 0%. But I’d say it’s probably somewhere in between.
Are
experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some, definitely. Lili
goes through what I did when I first came to Australia and had to
learn to understand ‘Strayan.
What
books have most influenced your life most?
I might credit the books
of Ray Bradbury for this, for opening my mind to the possibilities of
things that seem out of this world.
If
you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Daphne Du Maurier. Alfred
Hitchcock loved her stories for good reason.
What
book are you reading now?
I just finished The Glade,
by a fellow indieBRAG Medallion honoree Harmony Kent.
What
are your current projects?
I’m about half way
through writing a rural romance, and when I finish that I’m anxious
to get moving on a science fiction book that’s been bubbling away
in my subconscious for the last couple of years.
What
would you like my readers to know?
Destiny is FREE on
Amazon.com from 13th
-17th April. So if
you think a YA paranormal romance series set in one of the oldest
parts of Melbourne is for you, then this might be the perfect time to
grab the first book.
Excerpt:
Sometimes,
when something bad happens, time seems to slow to a crawl.
Like
that time I was running to visit my friend who lived down the street.
I was only about ten at the time, but it seemed like it was
yesterday. I remember exactly how it felt as I ran down that street
toward her house. And how, when I was only part way there, I stepped
on an acorn and my foot rolled out from under me. As I fell, the
pavement got closer and closer to my face—in horrible slow-motion.
I hit the ground with my hands stretched out in front of me, scraping
the skin off both palms. They barely bled but man they hurt like
crazy.
Yes,
I could replay that memory like a slow-motion movie in my head even
now—years later.
But
this … well, this wasn’t like that.
What
happened next was like a series of still photos. Tom flew out of the
bedroom in a blur, but stopped just long enough for the image of his
face to be burnt into my mind. His eyes were no longer soft brown,
but were instead a glowing red, and his normally tanned complexion
was now pallid grey. But what really stood out was the blood that ran
down from the corner of his mouth.
Then
I heard Sam’s voice—loud and harsh. ‘Go!’
Tom
was gone and I heard the door slam.
I
closed my eyes for no more than a long blink—it couldn’t have
been more than a second—but when I opened them, Sam was in the
bedroom, bending over Claire. Was he doing something to her neck? She
was so still.
I
ran to the doorway but stopped short of going in. I couldn’t draw a
breath to scream or talk. I just stood there, frozen.
About
the Author:
S
M Spencer was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As
a young teenager her mother introduced her to the world of romantic
suspense by encouraging her to read the works of authors such as
Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart. These books stirred a passion in
her that would last a lifetime—to become a writer.
Feeling
the need to experience life before embarking on a writing career, Ms
Spencer completed a business degree. Her career eventually landed her
in Melbourne, Australia, where she has lived ever since. Yet her true
passion to be a writer never abated.
SM
Spencer now writes from her home in the outskirts of Melbourne, where
she lives with her husband, horses, cats and dogs.
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