YAY!! I'm so excited to release the cover for Twisted Sisters, book #2 in The Orion Circle series. The cover was designed by the very talented Amanda Matthews of AM Design Studios. She won the 2014 Best Cover Award for Tortured Souls (book #1).
Twisted Sisters
The Orion Circle #2
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
YA Urban Fantasy
Sea Dragon Press
October 27, 2015
Goodreads
It’s a child’s toy—what could go wrong?
While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.
But this isn’t any ordinary haunting. These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness—these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.
Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?
Excerpt
“Huge EMF spike!” Carl shouts, waving
the EMF detector in the air.
That’s it. I can’t wait for Raven any
longer. Mr. Kincaid’s voice echoes in my ears, calling me stupid for rushing in
not knowing what’s in there. I’m in charge of this fiasco… I never should’ve
let her run in without more information. Steeling my shoulders, I cross the
threshold into the house.
I stop and survey the scene in seconds,
taking in the ridiculous amount of damage. The living room is trashed: sofa
overturned, lamps broken on the floor, and the front window shattered by the
flying armchair. No sign of Raven, but the girls said they were using the board
in the kitchen. As I walk down the hall toward the back of the house, a ceramic
figurine flies at me. I duck just in time as it grazes the top of my hair. I’m
finding it difficult to believe spirits summoned from a spirit board by
amateurs could be this powerful.
The family room is in a similar state to
the living room. When I spy the sixty-inch TV on the floor in a smashed mess my
heart thumps faster. These are powerful spirits or maybe even a rogue gang.
That TV had to weigh over one hundred pounds, and it’s a good twelve feet from
the entertainment center. No sign of Raven in here either.
A fierce wind blows from the kitchen, slamming
me against the wall. So much power. None of this makes any sense!
“Raven.” I try to call out, but my voice
comes out a hoarse croak.
My body is freed as the wind dies down,
and I race toward the kitchen. Something shoves me from behind, sending me reeling
across the tile floor. I manage to rotate myself at the last second so my
shoulder impacts the wall instead of my head. The wind stops the moment I hit
the wall. As I rub my sore shoulder, a loud scream pierces the silence. My
stomach drops at the sheer terror echoing in that scream. Raven.
Leaping to my feet, I search the large
kitchen for her. When my eyes land on her, I blink a few too many times. This
shouldn’t be possible.
“Hang on, Raven,” I call out to her form
suspended in midair near the ceiling.
“Hang on? Really?” Her arms are splayed
out to the sides. Though she tries to project confidence with her words, I can
tell from her face that she’s terrified.
“Release her at once!” I yell at the
invisible spirits. “She has done nothing to you.”
“Don’t you think I already tried that?”
Raven bites out in between gasping breaths.
“St. Michael, the archangel, def—” I
start the prayer, but something crashes into me, knocking the wind from my
lungs as I’m slammed into the floor. It takes a few dazed seconds to realize it’s
Raven’s body crushing me. “Can you move?”
“I don’t know.” She rolls off me despite
her words, groaning. “Those damned spirits. Madder than cornered rattlesnakes.”
“I can’t feel anything but intense
hatred and fury.” I push to my feet, ignoring the searing pain in my side.
After hauling Raven up by the arm, I drag her toward the back door.
“Wait!” she yells, yanking her arm away.
“The board.” Raven disappears beneath the long oak table. A few seconds later,
she pops out holding the spirit board.
“Come on,” I shout when I feel the
spirits returning for round two. “Crap, too late.” An invisible force plows
into me, pushing me back into the unforgiving wall. “Raven, run!”
Something hits me in the ribs, banging
my body into the wall once, twice, three times. My head spins from the impact.
At least Raven made it out. A white mist fills my vision, and I blink several
times. It doesn’t go away, only becomes sharper, more focused. Her form is
wispy, ethereal. She would be beautiful were her lips not turned into a vicious
sneer. I lay on the ground, waiting for her to make her move while she floats
around me.
Giveaway
I've never been anywhere haunted before! I would like to though
ReplyDeleteI had my first paranormal experience when I was in NOLA a couple months ago. I'll be writing about it for the release of Twisted Sisters, though it wasn't as exciting as what my characters experience :)
DeleteI've been to NOLA and the cemetery there, I've also been to a few European Castles that were supposed to be haunted, but I never felt a thing. The spookiest place ever to me was the second floor of my grandparents house and no one ever died there.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what was lurking in the shadows at your grandparents' house... I'd love to see some castles. I went to lots of churches and old buildings in Italy and never felt a thing.
DeleteSince I have lived in Louisiana for 40 years, I have visited several places. Many of the cemeteries, plantations, and bed and breakfast establishments are "haunted", so I have been to a few. I don't go looking for that sort of thing because I am a big baby when it comes to scary things. I love to read about it, but not experience it first hand!!!
ReplyDeleteI heard some great ghost stories on a tour in NOLA-- that is one haunted place. There's a plantation in Louisiana I want to check out -- the Myrtles Plantation. It's supposed to be very haunted.
DeleteMost haunted would have to be an ancient graveyard near some ruins in Ireland. My camera went from full battery to zero in seconds - so I left.
ReplyDeleteOh, I would love to see an ancient graveyard in Ireland. They say that the ghosts are pulling the energy from your battery to manifest... maybe it's a good thing that you left when you did...
DeleteYeah well I did bring back a prankster and had to cross him over. Lesson learned.
DeleteWhy is it always the naughty ones who return?
DeleteSalem, MA and Lizzy Borden's home with some friends for a girls weekend. The Borden's house just felt horrible when we went in so dark.
ReplyDeleteOh, am I jealous! That sounds amazing-- especially for a girls' weekend. The Borden house is on my list along with Salem; if I ever make it up that way.
DeleteI have never been anywhere haunted. I'm a afraid of everything, so I don't think I'd be very good in that type of scary situation. I don't even sleep in the dark.
ReplyDeleteI can understand that. Hopefully the ghosts will leave you alone and come talk to me instead :)
DeleteThere is a haunted house at Heritage Park in Calgary.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to go to Calgary. I almost moved there ten years ago, then my husband's company sent us to Gig Harbor instead.
DeleteFaust's castle in Germany. It was pretty creepy, even if it was mostly out to the elements.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to go to Germany. They have such beautiful castles there.
DeleteMy sisters first house ... it was an old church with a graveyard (some bodies still in the ground ... most exhumed and moved) but there was a few spirits in that house
ReplyDeleteThat is totally creepy! I don't know if I could live there. Maybe visit for a while, get some inspiration for my writing...
DeleteI haven't been anywhere haunted, but I think it would be fun and exciting!
ReplyDeleteTry New Orleans. If there are ghosts anywhere in the US, I'd put my money on NOLA.
DeleteThe house I grew up in. 2 separate ghosts. They never really did anything but it was still creepy when they appeared.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine living in a haunted house, especially as a child. Privacy issues alone would drive me batty.
DeleteMy grandmom's house. I've lived there mostly of my childhood years and experience bunch of scary things like a spring door suddenly opening on it's own, copying faces of people, unplugged stereo playing songs and a lot more. It's pretty creepy oftentimes but I loved that place it's where more of my childhood memories came from :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how many people I've met in my pursuit of the paranormal who had experiences at their grandparents' homes. Maybe older people attract spirits...
DeleteThere's a well-known haunting spot in our area called "Buck Hill." People claim that on late dark nights you can see a spirit girl walking in the distance with a lantern light. Not that I have ever seen though, but you know how rumours fly. abrennan09@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this one. I think they call it ghost lights or something. Lots of people have claimed to see this, and those who set out to debunk haven't had much luck.
DeleteI'e never visited anywhere haunted, but I want to!
ReplyDeleteStay tuned. I'll be talking all about haunted places closer to the Twisted Sisters release date!
DeleteOld Tucson a few times. Love it!
ReplyDeleteNever been there. I'll have to add it to my list :)
DeleteI don't know of any I visited, but we lived in a house that was haunted. My kids were 3, 4 and 7 and they are now 34, 35 and 37 and they still talk about what they saw. They called them Monstrous and what is odd, if you separated the kids and talked to them one of one, they basically would tell you the same thing, to the point of describing them. Sound were good and some were evil.
ReplyDeleteThe house was older and we were told that an unwed woman gave birth and the baby only lived a little bit and died and the girls father buried the baby under the house. Sometimes you could hear a baby crying. Also the house has had several mysterious fires over the years, all starting in the same location. The house is in Knoxville, TN on Ryder Ave. We lived there about 2 years.
That is freaky! I've read about several places that experienced multiple unexplained fires. I doubt I would have lasted for two years!
Deletebeen to Gettysburg but didn't see anything
ReplyDeleteI know several people who have been to Gettysburg and didn't sense or see anything.
DeleteThere are a couple of places by me that are considered haunted. The Deering Estate is considered a hotbed of paranormal activity by The League of Paranormal Investigators. It is said that it was built on a burial ground and 4 construction workers dies during a routine dynamite blast while building.They even have a recording of an investigation there and its super freaky. I went for a tour when I was younger and the story surrounding the mansion still gives me the creeps, I haven't had the guts to go back since.
ReplyDeleteAnother place that is supposedly haunted, though I can't say I've ever seen or felt anything there is The Biltmore Hotel.
The last place is more of a local urban legend called 'The Krome Asylum'. Rumor has it that it is an abandoned insane asylum burned down by a patient. In truth its simply an abandoned missile silo built in 1965 in response to the Cuban missile crisis. In 81 it was reused as a detention center but was closed down a couple of years later after one too many reports of abuse/riots/murders/suicide. I've been on one of the paranormal tours there and honestly the scariest part is the surrounding woods.
Woods tend to have a very creepy vibe, especially at night. Perhaps it's all of the hidden eyes on us at any given time-- animals not ghosts. I've heard of the Biltmore Hotel, however, there are at least three by that name that claim paranormal activity. I'm guessing you're referring to the one in Miami, which is supposed to be quite haunted. Lots of illegal activity supposedly went on there.
DeleteSocorro, NM gun range. Yep. Strange I know. There's an old tale of some half creature/half man ghost that haunts it. I never saw it but a steady friend swore he did.
ReplyDeleteA gun range is definitely one of the last places you'd want people to see ghosts or creatures! Someone might get really scared and shoot the place up!
DeleteA prison in Philadelphia.
ReplyDeletePrisons are notoriously haunted. I've been to Alcatraz-- didn't experience anything but the place has a creepy vibe.
DeleteI love the cover and the first book. Can't help but think this will be a winner too!
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Thanks! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone will enjoy it :)
DeleteThe Green Lady's Graveyard in Burlington, CT
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this one. Thanks-- I'll have to read about it.
DeleteI don't think I've ever been anywhere haunted.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that's really a bad thing...
DeleteI have lived in houses that were haunted. Not by bad people though. But it was really strange to hear someone walking and feel a breeze pass by you when no one was there.
ReplyDeleteCreepy! I've never felt anything like that. Of course, if I did, I'd manage to convince myself it was the air conditioner ;)
DeleteOutside of watching TV of Ghost Hunters, I've never been to a haunted place.
ReplyDeleteI've been to so many of the places the Ghost Hunters have been to-- they always have a much more exciting time... maybe it's the cameras ;)
DeleteI've been to NOLA too.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to go back to NOLA. I was too busy to really do the tourist stuff.
DeleteI'm obsessed with Ghost Adventures so I've been to all those places :D... but as far as physically, I've been to Old Town San Diego.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather fond of Old Town myself. In high school we did our musical theater plays at the Old Town Theater. The green room and dressing rooms are in the basement under the stage. Nothing paranormal ever happened, but man was that place spooky.
DeleteI've never knowingly visited a haunted place. Deaths in the family do make you consciously think about ghosts, but I've never had any visits.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was twelve, my grandfather died. I was at a slumber party and I think he visited me. As time passed the memory faded, so now I don't know if it was a dream or not. When it happened, I didn't know he was dead yet...
DeleteI haven't ever been anywhere haunted.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor just told me her house is haunted-- want to stop by?
DeleteKay's Cross, its also where I first kissed my sweetheart. We've been together 25 years now.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Sounds more like a good luck place than a haunted place ;)
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