Title: The
Portal’s Choice
Series: The
Gatekeepers of Em’pyrean Series Book
One
Author: KD
Pryor
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Madaket Lane
Publishers
ISBN-10: 0989251403
ISBN-13: 978-0989251402
ASIN: B00CNV5LHG
Number of pages: 502
Word Count: 148,139
Cover Artist: Bespoke Book Covers
Portals. Doorways. Gateways. All
ways to get in or out of someplace, right?
Nothing weird, spooky or
otherworldly about them. Or, at least that’s what Tallis Challinor always
thought. Tallis is a practical young woman, a writer, a lover of words and a
natural storyteller. But she’s not sure what to do when real-life sucks her
into a story far stranger than anything she’s ever imagined.
Tallis discovers that portals are
passageways between the human and spirit worlds. She finds out that
bent-on-evil ghosts can escape from the spirit realm through those gateways
whether they are supposed to or not. And when they do, Tallis finds herself the
chosen human, picked by the portal in her basement in New Hampshire, to seek
out and return the wayward spirits.
All Tallis wants to do is recover
from the loss of her parents and settle into her new home. She’d like a
boyfriend, someone like the cute guy, Aiden, down the street. She’d like some
girlfriends to talk to and maybe even go shopping with. And she’d like the ghosts,
the portal, and the responsibility that has been thrust upon her to
disappear.
But when the ghosts threaten her
new hometown, her friends, and the family she holds so dear, Tallis discovers
the inner courage to meet the portal’s challenge and save those most precious
to her. Along the way, Tallis learns that she is more than she’s ever imagined
herself to be and that she deserves more than she’s ever dreamed possible.
Title: The
Inn of the Kindred Spirits
Series: The
Gatekeepers of Em’pyrean Series
Author: KD
Pryor
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Madaket Lane
Publishers
ISBN-10: 0983232415
ISBN-13: 978-0983232414
ASIN: B00GQC7L58
Number of pages: 194
Word Count: 52,870
Cover Artist: Bespoke Book Cover
Brittany, France. Near the coast.
A picturesque inn. Spectacular scenery. Tasty French treats. Time off from
school.
Tallis Challinor imagines this as
the perfect vacation scenario, so when her grandfather suggests that she
accompany him to the country of her ancestors, she is more than happy to tag
along. What Tallis doesn’t bargain on is another ghostly encounter, especially
not so soon after she’s sealed up a bunch of unruly ghosts on their side of the
portal between the human and spirit realms. But, when she feels the energy
radiating from the megalithic standing stones dotting the countryside around
Carnac, France, an energy that feels frighteningly like the power exuding from
the portal in her basement back home, she has a feeling she might be in
trouble. And she is right.
When her grandfather goes
missing, Tallis leaps into action. She calls the only ghostbuster she knows in
France and, with help on the way, she gears up to battle another set of spirits
bent on causing destruction. Along the way, Tallis is forced to examine her
life, her relationships, and her tightly-held beliefs about who she is and
where she comes from. She also has to
juggle two impossible males, both attractive but annoying, both seemingly set
on driving her nuts or breaking her heart.
KD Pryor started life in
Missouri, where she read lots of books, even sneaking them into baseball games
to the irritation of her father. Kelley graduated with a degree in
International and Comparative Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio,
Texas. After college and marriage to a great guy, she decided to pursue a law
degree at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Her oldest son was born soon
after law school, followed three years later by her daughter and a move to
Kentucky. One more son, a move to Ohio and four years later, her family jumped
on the opportunity to move to India. They lived in Bangalore, now Bengaluru,
for four wonderfully chaotic years, traveling all over Asia, Australia and
Europe.
Now, settled in New Hampshire
with her family and herd of cats (only three), she can often be found in her
office, working on the next installment of “The Gatekeepers of Em’pyrean”
series, reading one of a dozen books she has started, and dreaming of her
future travel destinations.
“The Portal’s Choice”, book one
in “The Gatekeeper’s of Em’pyrean” series featuring Tallis Challinor, was
released on May 6, 2013.
“The Inn of the Kindred Spirits”,
a novella featuring protagonist Tallis Challinor, was released in November 18,
2013.
“The Forgotten Gate”, book two in
“The Gatekeeper of Em’pyrean” series, is scheduled for release in 2014.
Website: http://www.kdpryor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kdpryorauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KDPryorbooks
@KDPryorbooks
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Prologue The Inn of the
Kindred Spirits
Almost forty years have passed since
Marielle married Bradach. Such an attractive man. So strong and loving. He had
come to her at a time when she’d needed
someone. A time when
her life had seemed over,
finished. One act, one mistake,
and she had been certain that no more joy could ever be hers.
He had arrived at her family’s inn in Brittany, France with
a group of friends. Young, boisterous, full of fun. She’d been drawn to his smile and deep brown eyes as he’d registered
at the reception desk, but she’d been too shy to respond to his flirtatious
advances. Besides, Papa had been standing nearby, and she could feel the disapproval, knew he was irritated by the
young men and by her one, quiet answer to the good-natured teasing of the tall, handsome one. After that,
she had bowed her
head and turned away, her long, wavy black hair hiding the heat
that spread across her cheeks.
He’d tried to engage her
again, but she’d politely ignored him as she registered his friends and then a
family with small children who had followed his group into the lobby. She’d
watched as he followed his companions up the stairs,
willing him to look at her, to
notice her one more time. When he had, she’d nearly tripped over the rug at her
feet in her confusion. He’d smiled and winked,
but his expression had quickly stiffened and he’d hurried upward, out of view. She’d known before
turning that her father
was at work behind her back once again, making certain that no inappropriate young
man, no young man at all, for that matter, would ever again compromise his
daughter.
She knew his name. She’d copied it down on
the crumpled market list from the morning
shopping and hidden it the in
the pocket of her cardigan. At break time, Marielle escaped the inn with a cup of strong coffee
to sit on the stone
wall at the front of her
parents’ property and ponder the name on the slip of paper. Bradach Challinor. She liked the
name. She liked it even more when the bearer of the name joined her, complimented her new dress, admired
her sapphire blue eyes, and asked her to have dinner with him that evening. To
her surprise, she had agreed, but she had sworn him to secrecy.
“Why?” he’d asked.
“Papa is very protective,”
Marielle had answered. “He’s quite old-fashioned.” What she didn’t add was that
her father had reason for his caution. She didn’t speak of Florian.
“Perhaps I can speak
to him,” Bradach
had suggested. “Had I a
daughter as beautiful as you, I too would take great care of her.” He’d smiled from under heavy eyebrows, twinkling lights from the sparkling sun
shining in his eyes.
“Ah, and maybe Papa has
reason to take care, with one as smooth as yourself,” Marielle had laughed.
“But I do not think he would listen to you. He especially doesn’t like me
mixing with the guests.”
“It is a shame,” Bradach
had answered. “I suppose I must bow to the wishes of your father, although I
hate to miss the chance to share a meal with you.” He rose as if to leave.
Marielle made her decision. “Meet me at the crêperie in the village
at 8:00 this evening.” She hopped off
of the wall before he could protest.
Her break time was ending as it was.
“But your father?”
“Will never know,” Marielle
said. “Unless you are not a man of honor and I am forced to tell him
of your bad actions.”
“I
am a man of honor, ma belle. And I am not sure that I should, but I will see you at 8:00.”
He had linked his hand with
hers for a moment, and gazing into his eyes she had known it was her forever.
They had married a week later, despite Papa’s protests and Mama’s tears. They had been so happy in Limoux,
then in California. And when her boy, Julien, had been born, her perfect baby son with his father’s
deep, dark eyes,
her happiness had been
complete. Until the heaviness hit her and buried her beneath its weight.
The past, the present,
the future, all of it
became blurred. She could barely
move. Only twenty-three years old, yet she crept like an old woman. Julien
cried, but she couldn’t answer. Bradach held her, but she couldn’t cry. Finally, he had taken
her home, hopeful that the coast of Brittany might cure her of her
sadness.
It was a lovely plan. He
left her with her parents for only a few days
to visit his people in the South. But
Florian was still there. And he found her. And she left. Her baby. Her husband.
Her parents. Her life.
She had to see Bradach again. Had to explain and beg
his forgiveness. She wanted to move on, but to do so, she had to
fix the past. So she called to him. Over the miles, across the years, through
the realms of death and life. She summoned him. She only hoped he would answer
her.
Hi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting my books and me on your site today. I'm so happy to be here.
Happy Reading,
KD Pryor