Kindred
The
Birthrite Series #2
by
Tiffany Apan
Genre:
Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
It
is the summer of 1933 and nearly two years since that fateful
Halloween night in Plains, New York.
Born
and raised in Dayton, Ohio, eighteen-year-old Cletus Blake spends his
days working to help his family through the massive economic
recession spreading throughout the United States and many other areas
of the world. As society struggles to accept that the economic surge
of the 1920s are long gone, Cletus also clings to the memory of his
last phone conversation with his cousin Dorothy. Having formed and
maintained a relationship with two of her close friends - the
recently married Reginald and Gail Carr Johnson - the three find
solace in regular communication with one another.
Like
Dorothy, Cletus possesses supernatural abilities inherited through
his bloodline. His vivid dreams and visions - including ones of a
beautiful young Romani woman and twin baby boys - continue to
increase in strength. Meanwhile, Reginald and Gail begin falling prey
to dark adversaries that have been lying in wait.
Evil
surrounds at every turn, old friends race to help, and ancient evil
re-emerges. A war between worlds brews beneath the surface,
threatening to rip the protective seams that keep the portals
sealed.
Then in the midst of it
all, Cletus happens upon a caravan traveling through his Ohio town.
The very familiar Romanichal family's history ties not only to his
own past, but to all the kin of the four men that experienced worlds
outside of their own on that summer solstice in 1844. All are linked
to a future that will reunite the Blakes and the Livingstons, two
families that at one time, shared a very unlikely
friendship.
Kindred is the second
full-length novel in The Birthrite Series. Picking up from where
Descent and Sacred Atonement: A Novelette left off, the story
continues to challenge all that is known about light and dark, good
and evil. Passion, intrigue, and secrets abound as history unravels.
Revelations uncovered in previous installments are given new
perspectives, taking the reader on a thrilling ride into a world
where nothing is ever what it appears to be.
Don't Miss the
Other Books in the Series:
DESCENT
The
Birthrite Series #1
Amazon
* Smashwords
* B&N
SACRED
ATONEMENT: A NOVELLA
The
Birthrite Series #1.5
Amazon
* Smashwords
* B&N
MADE
IN HEAVEN
A
Birthrite Series Short
FREE
on Smashwords
PREFACE
Florence, Italy
June 20, 1856
In the dim light of a small studio, an elderly artisan looked over his most recently finished painting. With a slight smile, he decided to give the canvas one final brush stroke, a subtle addition that was indeed what the new portrait needed for it to be complete. With it being the night before the summer solstice, there was much urgency in having the painting finished. On this day, it was now over a decade since that solstice in 1844, the solstice that would forever bond four particular bloodlines crucial to the fate of the worlds.
Satisfied with his work, the old man rose from his chair, knowing that the young apprentice would be arriving at any moment to travel the portrait to a Tuscan seaport.
The artist knew of the ship on which this portrait was to sail. La Suerte was a newly built vessel, having just been launched on her maiden voyage that same year. She was no ordinary ship, and this year would be her first and last one carrying his paintings to where they needed to be. She had her own destiny, but at this time, she was what he and the subjects of his paintings needed. She also needed them, as their energy fueled her.
(in some ways, they were part of her)
With great care, he packaged the painting, taking a moment to gaze into the eyes of the middle-aged man whose image was on the canvas. The man that had been of one of the four bloodlines drawn together eleven years ago with the Earth tilted toward the sun and the days would grow shorter after.
This particular work had not been commissioned, but the artist knew that the public figure in America would be most appreciative. In his mind's eye, he could see this new work hanging inside the main hall of a library, one located in a little town just outside the city of New York. That same small town for which he created a statue that stood as a fountain in the town’s park.
He smiled at the idea of that statue acting as a beacon of light for the town. Of all his highly sought after works, the seraph statue was among his very best, even if he said so himself.
As the elderly man placed the final protective wrappings on his parcel, a knock at the door was heard. He turned and bade for his visitor to enter. The opening door revealed the old man's young apprentice. No words were exchanged between the two, for there was no need. Both knew what needed to be done and why.
The younger man departed for the seaport, leaving the artisan alone again in the studio. The old man walked over to the other side of the modest room, regarding three shrouded canvases. He was in no hurry to finish these portraits, knowing that they would be complete when the time was right. He knew well of the individuals whose images were being formed, three individuals that were not of his world.
Though yet…they are...
Tiffany
Apan grew up among the thick forests of the Appalachian Mountains in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was there she began honing artistic
abilities and received much of her creative inspiration. A misfit
among her peers (she was the only one in her fifth grade writing
class obsessed enough with Vikings and Norwegian mythology to write
poems about them), Tiffany was highly active in the artistic
community in Wilkes-Barre, PA, involving herself in all music,
theater, visual arts, and writing. Eventually, she settled quite
comfortably into a role as “that artsy kid in black” who sits in
a coffee shop, drinking endless amounts of coffee and tea while
writing furiously in a journal or sketchpad.
After
graduating high school, she left the Northeastern PA ghosts for the
Southeastern PA zombies (Pittsburgh). Upon the move, Tiffany became
involved with the indie film scene, landing supporting roles in a
couple films. This also gave way to the release of her music with
partner in crime, Jason English. Since then, she has gone on to act
in several films and theater productions with starring and supporting
roles, release music to critical acclaim, and receive accolades for
her writing and producing.
The
Appalachian Mountains serve as a backdrop for many of her stories,
including The Cemetery by the Lake and The Birthrite Series.
You can check out more of her work (writing, music, film, etc) on
her website, blog, Amazon, and other social media.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
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