by
Lynn Crandall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Atlantis
Aeon Ainsley Durham loves running her antique shop, Fancy This, in Old Town
Auralia, but takes seriously her mission to work with her fellow Aeons to fight
Darkness in her home town. But she’s changing. Her precognition is showing her
darker and darker visions of what’s to come. When growing darkness forces her
to reevaluate her place in the Aeons and her work, she’s not sure she belongs
in either space any longer. Her terrible past urges her to withdraw, not only
from her mission but from letting true love in.
Bounty
hunter turned bonds company owner Keegan Barnes is also an Aeon. He hears
things others don’t, and sometimes he wishes he could shut down his
clairaudience ability. After all, he doesn’t see how he can help the cause with
such a low-key ability. But when he picks up discussions among members of Dark
Sides, will he discover just how much he’s been underestimating himself? He’s
hiding secrets that keep him from healing his scars and getting close to
anyone, most of all Ainsley.
Keegan
and Ainsley know the efforts the Aeons have been putting in to raise the level
of light energy in the city have been helping. But will it be enough to
influence others to make choices for good or will Dark Sides take the city? Can
they team up to save the city and find true love? Find out in this thrilling
book two in the Dark Sides trilogy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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EXCERPT
“Get inside,”
Keegan hollered to Jane and Ainsley.
“Wait, wait,”
Jane yelled, pointing to one of the cars.
Men in both
vehicles hung out of the passenger windows, guns raised, one aimed on the
women, the other on him.
He hurtled in
front of Ainsley and Jane just in time to allow them to escape inside.
Instantly, he dropped to the ground, burning pain sizzling in his shoulder and
blood dripping onto the ground.
Swiftly, he
jumped up and retreated in to the house, slamming the door closed and locking
the deadbolt.
But he knew
those measures wouldn’t stop the people outside who were determined to take
them down.
Ainsley stopped
moving. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.
We need to get moving.”
“Did you see
who they are? I saw Mathias. He was pointing a gun at us.” Jane’s voice
quivered. “He’s one of them. I don’t understand.”
“We don’t have
time to talk about it right now.” Ainsley looked from Jane to Keegan.
Keegan tried to
calm Jane, whose emotions churned just under hysteria. “I don’t know how those
people found us, but we’ll find out. Right now we have to hide.”
Jane made an
effort to follow his orders. “Now can we get in to the basement?”
“I don’t think
that’s a good idea. That would be the first place they’d look. You all go
upstairs,” Ainsley ordered. “Dad, Mom, Jane, Benjamin, go!”
“What about
you.” Her mother’s lower lip trembled and tears wetted her eyes.
“Don’t worry
about me. Keegan and I will handle this.”
Keegan nodded.
“We can’t waste any more time talking. Up with you all.” With that, he ran to
the kitchen and lowered the kitchen shades. He grabbed knives, a rolling pin,
and the one gun he’d seen in a kitchen drawer earlier.
He sensed
Ainsley in another room, gathering potential weapons, he supposed. He nearly
ran into her as she flew into the dining room at the same time, reaching for a
heavy glass vase, the same one he was after. He put down his supplies and
grasped her shoulders.
“We can do
this.” He knew it in his heart. No other outcome was inside him, other than
protecting the family, to protect Ainsley.
Her eyes
pierced his, and his heart went out to her. She had so much at stake. But so
did he. “I’m not about to lose you just when—”
She put two
fingers to his lips. “I know. Same for me.”
Steady pounding
at the back door resounded through the house. He grabbed the gun. “You send a
message to the Aeons to let them know Dark Aspects are here, so be wary.”
“I will.”
She closed her
eyes briefly, and he felt her focusing on her message, sending it out as fast
as she could.
Keegan dashed
to the kitchen window and snuck a peek through the blinds.
His heart
pumping hard, he saw Diane out back and Barry Russell standing beside her.
“Harder,” Diane
chanted to the men at the back door. “Get inside there. Hit harder.”
“This door must
be reinforced,” Russell shouted. “Or they’d have already knocked it in.”
Keegan dropped
the blinds, readying to shoot if the door gave way. He glanced around the room,
wishing he had more time, to prepare, to protect the others. Nothing stood out
to him as an effective weapon to stop the intrusion.
He nodded to
himself, knowing what he had to do. He didn’t hesitate.
He laid the gun
on the counter and strode across the kitchen. He stood for one nano-second in
front of the door. The beating against it rattled the windows and drowned out
all other sounds.
He saw Ainsley
out of the corner of his eye, at the same moment Jane ran up to her.
“I’m going to
help,” she said, and grabbed the rolling pin. “I’m not afraid any more.”
Ainsley heard
her but just barely. Her feet moved numbly toward Keegan, but he was already
pulling the door open. So swiftly, he was out and being wrestled to the ground.
Over the din,
she heard him holler, “Close it and lock it!”
Then he was
down and she felt his energy diminish. Her heart crashed to the bottom of her
gut. “No!” she yelled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
After
cutting her writing teeth as a feature writer for commercial and trade
magazines, a reporter for newspapers and radio, and an executive editor for a
communications company, award-winning author Lynn Crandall tuned her voracious
appetite for stories to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, women’s
fiction, and romantic suspense. In her books, she enjoys taking readers on
emotional journeys with relatable characters who refuse to back down, and face
challenges and tribulations with heart and soul. She believes every love has a
story, and hers is with one handsome husband and a large, beautiful circle of
family, including her cat Winter.
TikTok
@lynnkelynnwriter
